


Revisions

by TheUnknown1



Series: Permutations [1]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bunnyburrow (Zootopia), Character Development, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Healing, Implied Sexual Content, Inspired by Zootopia (2016), Interspecies Romance, Law Enforcement, Love, Minor Original Character(s), Missing Mammals (Zootopia), Nightmares, Original Character(s), POV Alternating, Police, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Romance, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Smut, Trauma, Violence, Zootopia (City), Zootopia Police Department, nighthowler
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:06:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 125,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27097033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUnknown1/pseuds/TheUnknown1
Summary: Nick's blueberry plan is thwarted by safety procedures implemented within Dawn Bellwether's organization and it nearly costs the duo dearly. The experience of succumbing to the Nighthowler serum changes the red fox's psychology to a degree in the aftermath. Nearly two-years later, the continued trouble with the post-traumatic stress leads him further into the darkened den and forces an adaptation after graduating from the Police Academy. Unfortunately for Judy, not even the work can keep the mental wolves at bay forever.
Relationships: Bonnie Hopps/Stu Hopps, Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Series: Permutations [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977784
Comments: 149
Kudos: 193





	1. With Change, Brings Fear

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing any type of fanfiction. I've been enamored with the story and characters of Zootopia for a while and read a lot of fanfiction; despite having no real love for any of the other Disney series at all. I have no clue why. This is an alternative-ending universe. I don't know how many chapters it will be or if it will be a solo or a multi-piece series... I own nothing of Disney's or Metallica's obviously.

Corporal Judy Hopps had a bubble of pensive concern surrounding her as she walked through the balmy evening air of Savannah Central’s Watering Hole area. It was a feeling that she knew well. The bubble was almost a physical barrier as the mammals around Judy noticed her and made way quickly. Most of them knew exactly who she was and thought it wise to not bother the young doe. She seemed to be on a mission, by the look of things, as she was walking away from where Precinct-1 was located at the Plaza. All the while, Judy was paying them no mind whatsoever. The doe’s ears were laid back and down, and she was vaguely looking at the concrete sidewalk a few paces ahead while her nose twitched in trepidation.

It had been nearly two-years, to the day, since Judy and Nick had closed the Nighthowler Case. Unfortunately for them both, it had not gone exactly as Nick had originally thought it would. There had been protocols implemented within Bellwether’s organization regarding the handling of the pneumatic weaponry. What the two had not seen was Bellwether anticipating finding an empty chamber in the pistol. The ZPD surmised that she popped open the chambering mechanism and the blueberries were ejected from the internal tray. Promptly replaced with a dreaded eventuality while the blueberries rolled away on the floor.

Judy, prior to the detainment of the Nighthowler orchestrators, noticed that something was wrong as soon as Nick was hit. She had thought he had attempted to eek out several warnings but wasn’t entirely clear until the tape was replayed much later. The sound of alarm was fueled by far more fear and pain than what had been expected. The yelling turned into pain-laced yowling and was soon accompanied by dreadful snarling. The sounds accented the muscle-rippling quakes, beneath Nick’s russet fur, and was so violent that it looked like it would shatter his bones.

Once he had fully devolved, screeching overtook the pit as the savage fox realized that he was trapped. The ears were pinned back harshly, hackles raised on end as the back bowed, and Nick’s tail churned with a growing fury. Judy had sworn that Nick could have knocked her over had if it had lashed out against her body. Judy still wasn’t sure if it had been the involuntary callout, that she _did_ remember making, or if it was her scent that made Nick’s ear-tips flickering in her direction. The click of another presence nearby, in whatever consciousness could be said that Nick possessed at the time, immediately stifled every sound pouring out of his body as he had turned on Judy. The ears stayed back. It was the constricted pupils and slavering maw, filled with glistening ivory fangs, that had Judy’s complete attention.

Nick could certainly put on the Mask. He could absolutely act. That, though… _That_ was well beyond even the best of Zootopia’s grandest actors and actresses.

The air around her was certainly muggy, but the mental imagery was so clear that it caused Judy’s body to drain the warmth from the core out through her extremities all over again. Judy closed her eyes for a moment in anger as she recalled what the ewe had done to her and her best friend.

Fortunately, the ZPD response was quick and the crew was detained immediately. Judy had had no choice but to flee the savage fox despite her leg. Nick couldn’t keep up with the ducking and dodging as easily as Judy could dish it out. Out of pure fear of the outcome. She didn’t let him get close enough to harm her or force her to harm him in self-defense and ZPD officers quickly darted Nick. The torn muscles, which cost her three-months of paid medical leave, were nothing compared to having to sit through hours of wheelchair-bound worry. The repossessing of Nick’s original mental state did not bear fruit as quickly as it had with Emmitt Otterton and some of the other original Missing Mammals.

A little over two-months went by before progress was made with Nick. The superficial wounds that Nick had inflicted upon himself, in pursuit of her, healed while the doctors kept him under. It was a very fitful sentencing, though. Judy had screamed and pounded on the viewing window as Nick, near the end of the sedation period, fought within his own mind and against the bonds that held him to the hospital bed. The agony had been so sharp that it woke the todd. The depth of the snarls and the heat behind the curses made the spectacle all the worse for Judy. Nick had seemed possessed by the demons of the darkest reaches of Hell, as if Nick were Ragnarök in mammalian form, and his original self was fighting back with nothing more than a sword in an entirely different possessed form. Not something born of the rabbit goddess, Serendipity, and seemingly far beyond what the fox goddess, Karma, would have called for in balances. Nick had to be quickly sedated.

The sedation protocol was lifted once Nick’s body chemistry looked like it had returned to normal. He didn’t awaken for another 48-hours after that. It wasn’t agonizing to witness when he had woken the second time. Judy had eventually come to decide that it was worse. The Mask that Nick always wore was for two purposes: as she later came to realize through a deep mental rewind of their interactions. The first was, and most importantly, that it was a defensive measure. It was quite simply, but literally, a poker face. _Don’t let them read your cards through your eyes._ The second was that it could be used somewhat offensively against the opposition in-question. Emotional disarmament. Mental brake-checking, if you will, and then distracting them with a remote-detonated firework display in the local park five-blocks away. Dissipate and divert the incoming emotion with brilliance and onto something or someone else entirely.

When Nick awoke, it was like a mental version of Mr. Big had taken Nick’s Mask and iced it.

The jokes were still there. But they were drier than the dunes around Sandy Cove. There were occasional lulls in the behavior. A semblance of before the pit incident. Judy noticed that they were only seen when it was just the two of them. And, even then, it was restrained. There was an odd reversal about the todd, though. Emotions were restrained clearly enough. But things that Judy had assumed would be hard to pull from Nick flowed as easily as a creek ran through a forest. It’s not to say that he no longer had emotion. It was just so much easier for him to hide it. It was the pinnacle of the mentality: _“don’t let ’em see that they get to you”._

Nick was released from the hospital shortly thereafter; Judy was evaluated by Chief Bogo and a trauma counselor before she was placed on light duty with the Department in Records. Due to his assistance in the Missing Mammals and Nighthowler Cases, Nick’s medical bills were covered by the city and a modest reward was paid out subsequently. The summing-up of it all was that Nick took Judy’s third month to prepare for admittance to the Police Academy.

The new mental paradigm was set. It showed when Judy witnessed Nick’s polygraph and psych evaluations, and then the night after his interview with Chief Bogo.

~~~~~~~~~

_“Father?” The technician had asked Nick._

_“Dead. Murdered trying to prevent a mugging after he had closed for the day.” Nick replied simply. No flick of the tail or in the ears to indicate annoyance or sadness._

_“Mother?”_

_Nick had squinted his facial features at that, looking off towards the door for a moment. In contemplation, not out of emotion. He was searching for the right word._

_“Estranged.” He said finally, reassessing the tech sitting before him._

_“Siblings?”_

_“None.”_

_“Significant others?”_

_Judy had seen a very slight upward tug at the corner of his lips. Nick’s brain was processing several bits of comedic material, going through the rolodex of which to choose should he decide to play the wise-ass. For the first time since the coma, he decided to attempt humor with somebody other than Judy. In a manner that would be seen by multiple other mammals, no less. Judy would have expected it if Nick had known she was on the opposite side of the one-way glass, but Nick had not known until later._

_Nick rolled his shoulders in a shrug, smiling a little more. “They tell me that I advanced myself, in the realm of physical intimacy with another, after attempting to devour Miss Hopps.” He said with an air of dry humor._

_The tech had gloriously balked at the response due to having gotten used to Nick’s simple and monotone replies throughout the afternoon._

_Judy could feel Chief Bogo look down at her despite not witnessing it. She merely sighed, closing her eyes as her paw came up to rub her temple in measured annoyance. There was no doubt that Judy’s ears were heating up and reddening through her fur._

_She wanted to kick his furry, red ass for insinuating that he had nearly made it to third-base._ But, _she thought deeply,_ this is certainly revealing. Nick can repair his relationship with his mother. No siblings is… odd… for foxes. I think. No girlfriend. Or mate. A virgin, no less. Maybe no girlfriend ever. It would fit the profile: considering his background history. _The interrogation continued for a couple more hours before Bogo made it clear that Judy should leave before the todd came out._

~~~~~~~~~

Two nights later, Judy was sitting with Nick on his apartment balcony. He looked like a mammal drowning with no ocean in sight when she asked about his mother. It was a look of mourning, longing, and loss. A depth of pining unknown to most others. A bartender would’ve probably spotted Nick at least one drink and if there was ever a mammal who looked in dire need of a drink, it was Nick Wilde. He didn’t accept one of the beers that Judy had brought over on a hunch. _They get in the way of work and burn time hotter than white phosphorus;_ Nick had explained after talking about his mother. Tears had silently tracked through his fur and down his muzzle as he merely stared out at the sunset.

Judy did him the favor of letting the tension settle. Nick had not seemed to have caught on to the fact that she had witnessed the evaluations. Only once he had taken a sip of water, and calmed down considerable, did Judy spring the trap to raise his spirits.

 _“So, that was the furthest you’ve ever gone with a gal, huh?”_ Judy’s ears had burned something fierce while she put on a country drawl and a cheeky grin, cocking an eyebrow high in challenge.

Judy had smashed through Nick’s rebuilding of his composure. He blinked once in realization before promptly bursting out laughing, and subsequently fell out of his chair. It had made Judy’s heart soar in her chest to see him smile and laugh with her.

A week later, Nick was off to the Police Academy and Judy was on light-duty.

Fourteen-weeks after her reinstatement, she watched Nick Wilde sit amongst the congregation and then as he stepped forward so that she could pin his badge on personally. Wearing an insufferably professional tone and his equally insufferable pair of Aviators. Again, and despite being able to call twice a week, Judy’s heart soared as she watched the todd stride across the stage with an unconcealed smile.

Nick’s assignment to Precinct-1 and as her charge was obvious. They were they only two small-frame mammals in all the Zootopia Police Department: excluding the extra-small class of mammals within the Little Rodentia Precinct. Over the next year, Judy was Nick’s Field Training Officer or FTO for short. With no new small-frame mammals graduating to become line officers – over the three classes during that year – it left Nick and Judy as partners, post-probationary training period, for nearly five-months. While Nick had been at the Academy, Judy had ridden the Records and Evidence Locker desks through Review Board after Review Board. Fortunately, it had ended in a proper pat on the back with a promotion to Corporal. She had heard rumors of a new small-mammal task force being organized by the Brass above Chief Bogo, though she knew better than to believe that he wasn’t involved. That could only mean she was on the fast-track to detective.

 _You don’t need to have Westinghouse Early-Warning Radar installations attached to your noggin’ to have figured that one out, Carrots,_ Nick had said admonishingly. _Knowing you, though… You’ll go straight to sergeant._

Judy blushed again as she thought back to how firmly she had boxed Nick’s side at the comment. It was obvious who was going to lead the team, but that didn’t mean that she believed it would happen after all that Nick had witnessed her go through during their first two cases together. Judy had to force herself to calm down before she had a heat-stroke.

In the present, Judy Hopps was honing her skills to become a detective by pursuing her partner after hours. The pair had a couple of decent cases while working together and while Nick had always affectionately referred to her as _‘his dumb bunny’_ , she was no idiot. Nick’s appearance had been immaculate every single day, but nobody else knew him like Judy did. Even Chief Bogo had only caught a glimpse of Nick’s mannerisms prior to the Nighthowler Case. Judy knew better though. She knew that the todd was tormented by that day and likely far worse than she was. His repeated deflections of the topic in the hospital had indicated to Judy that Nick had been a backseat passenger in his own mind. He had witnessed most, if not the entire event at the museum.

Nick spent nearly every waking moment of their shared weekends-off together with Judy. On occasion, a couple of midweek nights during longer cases, as well. Lately, he had not been available to do anything on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Not even the power of the adorable and burrow-renowned Hopps eyes worked on getting Nick to hang out with her on those nights. So, Judy started digging. It had taken weeks of grid-square searching and tracking, which she was relatively poor at doing due to being prey, because neither Finnick nor Flash would help her out. Flash simply didn’t know much about Nick since that fateful evening, but Finnick flat-out and crudely told Judy to get stuffed like a Deerbrooke County burrow hole. The Fennec knew something, but it was clear that he wouldn’t help her. No matter how far back from the brink she had originally pulled Nick.

Maps were stuck all over her new apartment walls. It was obvious that it didn’t matter when Nick arrived at his destination because he always took the same amount of time to get cleaned up in the locker room at the end of those shifts. And, on top of that, he never took the same route to his destination. That cost Judy two-weeks just to get the direction that Nick was heading in nailed down: to the east of Precinct-1. After that, it was three more weeks of being ducked and dodged by Nick. One of the rules to his _modus operandi_ was that he was always being followed. So, Judy plotted every night of Nick’s pathfinding through Savana Central and into the Watering Hole subdistrict. Map after map was accrued around the doe’s small apartment: and dozens of multicolored Sharpie lines were thrown like haphazard spaghetti against them.

Judy nearly blew the operation when Nick finally stepped into predator-oriented bar, Mimi’s Stillhouse, and she had thought that odd. Nick did not drink and if he was estranged from his mother, then Judy didn’t know how to describe how far shunned he was from his old hustler buddies. Thinking it was a feint and noticing that Nick had started disappearing on Wednesday’s, Judy took the time to follow him the whole next week to make sure. Two days watching the rear of the stillhouse and two watching the front. Nick always invited her over for weekends on Friday evening, after all. Once Judy was certain that Mimi’s was the final stop for the red fox, she dove in to investigate the situation further.

She was careful to use deodorizer and to keep back until most of the area was thoroughly surveyed. Judy didn’t want Nick to spot her prematurely. Judy, on the other paw, spotted him easily enough. She carefully watched the distant fox as she made her way up to the far end of the bar. Nick Wilde was preoccupied on the music stage near the back of the stillhouse: calmly having a discussion with three mammals that were huddled around the drum-set at rear-center. There was a gray wolf, a bobcat and a northern river otter. There was a vague twinge of familiarity with the wolf that Judy couldn’t place, but the other two were unknown.

The stillhouse was quite barren due to the earliness of the evening, so Judy made sure to keep her ears down and quietly indicated to the bartender that she would have a water for the evening. The gray fox, in question, eyed her with a measured level of suspicion, but spoke no words as he filled a glass. It would cost her nothing for the water, after all, but Judy had to hope that the gray fox did not recognize who she was.

“Who are they?” Judy finally mustered. The venue didn’t seem pred-exclusive, but she hadn’t seen many preys in the area during her time surveilling it. So, she tried a disarming tactic that she had picked up from Nick.

“Just some fellas sharpening their musical talents.” The Gray replied simply, moving merchandise around in the cooler under the counter.

“You don’t know them?” Judy asked, careful not to let any annoyance taint her tone.

“I have some rough assumptions, _bunny.”_ The Gray’s movements stiffened as his suspicions of the prey mammal ramped up. “Mammals from different backgrounds, who have histories that _you_ would _never_ understand.”

Judy nodded with a placating smile, opening her right paw as a gentle indication that she wanted to know more. The gray fox growled slightly in displeasure but relented as he refilled the doe’s glass.

“I think it’s a trauma relief group. The otter is John Dempsey, lead guitarist, and the victim of a pred-kitnapping crew when he was younger. The wolf is Dave Mingan and he runs their bass. He’s the last remaining member of the Mingan Family after a rather bloody spat with the Meadowland prey groups thirty-years ago. Purged and the like. And, if that wasn’t bad enough. He was one of the Missing Mammals that Lionheart had penned up.”

Judy was stunned as the gray fox took a moment to slide a beer down to the opposite end of the bar. Hanging on every word as she watched the group tune their instruments; mostly watching to make sure that Nick was completely immersed in his work.

“The bobcat on the drums is Randy Phillips. He’s one of the pred-rights and defense organizers that came up amidst the Missing Mammals protests. Word is that he took several beatings and might have been stabbed once or twice in Central over those months. And, if I didn’t know any better… The Red is probably Nicholas Wilde. Lead vocals and on the rhythm. You oughta know his story, at least...” The Grey finalized for Judy, to which she gulped and nodded.

 _More than you know…_ she thought.

Judy’s mind was off to the races as she tried to understand the purpose of the group that Nick was in. Piecing all the backgrounds together made it make sense. What worried Judy now was that Nick knew he could tell the doe anything under the sun. Judy now feared that his problems were not so simple anymore. Nick was always so cool during patrols and deskwork. Nothing seemed to startle him. A frown creased Judy’s lips as her nose twitched urgently.

_Is he able to repress the fears that easily now?_

_Is Nick so badly haunted by nightmares and memories during his waking hours?_

“They don’t have a name. They do this just to practice; having only covered a few songs since they began coming here.” The Grey continued to answer questions that he knew he was likely in for. “They don’t give a shit about how the crowd feels at the end. This is all for them. I’ve never seen them take tips and they’ve never asked to be compensated for their time. They just asked to play.”

Judy was about to ask another question, but the Grey raised his paw and pointed at the stage. She whipped around to find that the crew was in position to begin. With her suddenly distracted state, the grey fox retreated to the opposite end of the bar to tend to a cougar and a snow leopard.

Gentle lead riffs came from John’s guitar as the percussion sounded alongside it. Nick had just finished adjusting his microphone stand before jumping in with a soft but twanging sound over John’s, to a degree. The beat picked up a moment later as Judy watched the crew balance out their stances and lose focus on the room before them; whether they had closed their eyes to absorb the beat or not. While Nick had been focused on keeping his upper torso loose against a rock-steady set of hips, Randy had thrown himself into hammering out the required percussion for the beat. The bobcat’s eyes wide and manic while his lips were curled back against his toothy maw. Nick’s voice came out shortly after.

 _“Oooooh! Run away, the past will bite again!”_ He sang easily into the microphone, letting his muzzle dip against his chest as he went through the motions on the guitar.

Judy had always known that Nick was music-oriented mammal ever since he had first allowed her over to his apartment. The todd had a few guitars hanging around the apartment and had an extensive record collection. Had Judy not chosen to pursue Nick’s disappearing acts she probably would have never known that he was playing music. He had never brought one of his own instruments and nothing had been missing during the early weekends of her private investigation. That said, she easily recognized the James Clawfield song through the riffs.

_“Sharpened claws touched the liquid flame!  
Deepened seed soaks anger’s reign!  
Arching back, shape-shifting, deranged!  
Oh, how she watched me change!”_

Nick continued, bouncing a little on his left hind-paw, as his ears pinned back against his head.

_“Am I **savage?!**  
Scratching at the door!  
Am I **SAVAGE?!**  
I don’t recognize me anymore!”_

The doe was startled by the lyrics. She hadn’t been familiar with this particular track and certainly was not expecting to hear Nick belting and growling out such phrases… All things considered. There was no outward emotion on his russet features. Nick was completely in the zone. Whereas Randy looked somewhat angry as he slammed through the drumbeat and Dave’s features were racked in calm and collection. John was the only one openly smirking for whatever reason.

Judy couldn’t help but grind her teeth in frustration that she couldn’t move closer to get a decent view of her partner as he worked. The annoyance dissipated as she caught movement from the corner of her eye. The bartender was approaching her to check on everything.

“You’re going to need these for the next one, rabbit.” The Gray said, offering her some noise cancelling earbuds. “They’ll sometimes rotate on the instruments to practice, but if Red stays on the electric you’ll need them. I think they’re just burning some stress tonight. If they play the song that I think they’ll play next, Red’s a little more heavily-pawed with the whammy bar than with this one. You can keep them, as well.”

The gray fox promptly refilled Judy’s cup and left her to fit the earbuds properly in her ear canals. The difference was already night and day, and it made the doe grateful that she would be able to properly experience the music without the tones piercing her eardrums at painful levels. Judy promptly decided to do some research on her phone for the song so that she could review the lyrics.

Judy was well and truly startled. The most apt way to describe the _Metalliclaw_ album was sheer brutalism. A stark white background was incorporated with multi-hued and twisted partials of snarling, multi-mawed predators – imposed into a sole wolf figure. It almost looked like a mugshot pose to the doe. The black fur, from the neck to the upper shoulders, had intricate white patterns and was tinted with a sickly-dead cerulean. The slitted eyes, snarling lips, and barred fangs held the image together. And, at the bottom, the phrase: _Hardwired… To Self-Destruct_.

It made the rabbit doe’s heart clench harder; throwing her back in time to the damaging conference that nearly cost Judy and Nick their friendship. It might not have been so bad had it not been for the fact that the album was only a six-months old. She didn’t dare look into the background of why the album was written. Judy feared that she knew. The band was, after all, and had always been entirely predator. If the Missing Mammals and Nighthowler cases were the reasons, with her disastrous conference speech on top of it, then the album was a political statement.

Judy read through the lyrics of the first song to further grasp the depth before looking back up. _Am I Savage_ ended with a deft paw. A second later, Randy began tapping a quick rhythm on the hi-hat to designate the song. John picked a moment to jump in with long, belting strokes of the guitar strings. With a steady thrumming against the tom-toms, Nick and Dave jumped in seamlessly. The stage lights had come up quickly, aimed right at the upper torsos of the males on stage. They were no doubt blinded, but even at the distance Judy was sitting at, she could see even further into the emotions of the mammals playing.

As Nick began to sing the song against the music, Judy’s paw had been hovering to type out the first few lines, and get ahead of the curve of the song. _Dream No More_ was the name of the song. The poor doe was torn between reading the lyrics line-for-line mere moments before they were belted out and being enthralled in Nick’s performance onstage.

Judy scrunched her muzzle a little as she watched Nick’s. The lights had to be killing him, but only when he was hitting the high-notes did he look away from whatever point ahead that he had designated to stare at. The todd had changed a bit since leaving the hospital. Gone were the bright and loud Pawaiian shirts that he had worn during his time as a civilian. Instead, a loose and simple dark-blue, button-down shirt was worn with equally shaded jeans. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and a blood-red tie contrasted the dark background of his shirt. The refined look accentuated his russet fur even more than usual. His muzzle contorted in sharply, but in a controlled fashion as he recited the lines. And, that’s when Judy noticed it. Nick’s pupils were constricted tightly: as they had been in the museum pit. Quickly, and ignoring the phone, she looked at the others. Dave Mingan was the only other of the four to have the same look in his eyes. There was no “hunter’s glint” to it, but that did not make it any less alarming.

That was the moment the music died, and a sharp intake of breath could be heard from Nick through the microphone. The group jumped back in for the lead guitar solo. The percussion crashed and Dave wailed it out with closed eyes and a jumping paw, lips curled back ever so slightly in the focus on the pickups as his head bounced back and forth. Randy was happily losing it over the drumset; lip-syncing the sounds he was making, tongue hanging out in a rather lewd fashion as his teeth flash to the left and right with the beat. The bobcat’s backwards ballcap stayed on his head regardless of his erratic motions.

Judy couldn’t argue that the emotion conveyed wasn't pure. She couldn’t exactly place the perspective of the song at paw, though. That did annoy her somewhat.

_“You turn… to stone,  
Can’t look away!  
You turn… to stone,  
Madness, they say!_

_Sanity taken,_   
_Seething damnation,_   
_Cthulhu, awaken!_

**_Wake!”_ **

Frustration was the most accurate way to describe the decision-making process for Judy. Nick had been going to consoling ever since graduation, so as not to incur the wrath of Chief Bogo, and he had always said that he was alright with that. Now, Judy wasn’t so sure. Which meant there was a move that needed to be made. But she didn’t know what to do, how to broach the subject… She was lost.

The group on-stage had stopped playing and began to quietly put all the loaned gear away as carefully as possible. A wolf stood up from the near-stage seating and jumped up to meet Dave happily. A female, by the looking of the clothing, and a mate by the eager show of physical affection being conveyed. Nick and John had gone over to Randy, smiling with eager but quiet voices as they all conversed about the set.

Judy was happy that Nick found something that might have been helping him. She carefully took out the hearing protection that she was given and stowed them in her purse. There was a tad bit of jealousy, though, and that bothered the doe further. She didn’t know if it was because Nick hadn’t found it with her or if it was because he seemed to be doing better than her. The fact was that Judy substituted proper remedies for her own issues with an exhausting work ethic.

 _Don’t let them see that it gets to you… Not even Nick, apparently,_ Judy thought. It was a harsh upbraiding. Of course, Nick was just as inquisitive of her situation as Judy was of his. The answer was the same, but Nick wasn’t the one not seeking assistance.

With that, Judy placed down some money on the counter for the earbuds and water before hopping off the barstool, and quietly exiting out into the nighttime air. Unfortunately, it was still balmy out.

_What do I do?_

There was a storm flowing within the young doe and it had her extremely distracted. Judy paid enough attention to the pedestrian indicators while crossing through the intersections. She crossed the third one before feeling a presence fall in-line with her.

“Corporal Carrots, this is the Control Tower. Your wheels aren’t chocked, and you are not permitted to takeoff. I need you to power down and disembark from your aircraft immediately.” A chuckling growl next to her caused Judy to jump into the air, spinning around.

 _“Nick!”_ Judy said loudly, her heartrate skyrocketing at having been caught. Her ears shot straight up into the air in her alarm.

The todd had an endearing smile plastered to his dumb mug. It told her that he was apologetic to have startled her, but he could not have resisted the humorous jab at his dear friend.

“If your nose twitches any faster, Fluff, you’ll take flight.” He continued, ushering her forward with a paw gently resting between her shoulder blades.

_Carrot sticks!_

Judy felt like a kit all over again, immediately looking down to hide the blistering blush that was piercing her muzzle, as if she had been raiding the carrot cookies from her mother’s pantry. Her long ears relaxed in a saddened fashion against the back of her skull. There was no way that she was far enough away from the stillhouse to brush the meeting off as a coincidence. 

“Judy,” Nick spoke up. “I need you to at least not apologize.”

She rolled her eyes towards him, tilting her head a little to side-eye him cautiously.

“You knew.” She commented smally.

“The equation of Judy Hopps isn’t quite as elaborate as, say, the Drake Equation. It’s easily figured out by someone with my level of skills.” Nick laughed softly, raising his paw to ruffle her ears with a pleasant gentleness. “You are far too inquisitive for your own good sometimes. And, if ol’ Nicholas Wilde starts disappearing after his shifts, it stands within reason that the fastest-track-to-detective is going to hunt his red-furred backside down and assess his situation. As long as you aren’t endangering others with that dynamic, Judy, then it’s quite alright.”

The flustered doe’s cheeks puffed out adorably. The only response that she could manage was to back-paw his side gently out of frustration at having been caught so easily.

“It works better to use your skills on mammals who don’t know you, Carrots.” Nick said finally, rubbing his side absentmindedly. It hadn’t hurt in the slightest. “You want to talk about it?”

“That’s supposed to be my line…” Judy squeaked out sadly.

“Well, I know your motive. I have no questions to that end. But, you clearly have a lot of questions.”

Judy had to brush one of her wayward ears down her back again. Nick Wilde was akin to a singularity. There was a wealth of knowledge and history within Nick that he could keep hidden from everyone now. It was so frustrating that Judy was essentially a very intricate textbook that could be read so easily by those close to her.

“Judy.” Nick said, tugging gently at her sleeve as he stopped. It slipped from his paw as she walked on glumly. “Sweetheart…”

That brought Judy up short. She had not heard that term-of-endearment from Nick in a long time. It made her heart jump and swell in her chest despite the sadness perforating her outer appearance as she looked back at the todd.

“This has helped me considerably. I have been withdrawn from discussing it.” Nick said, kneeling before her. “That’s over. Let’s go have a seat so we can talk.”

Judy nodded numbly, looking around as Nick indicated over to the bench at the edge of a park that they had come up on. She had not even noticed where they were until that moment. After a moment, they reached the park bench, it faced west and into the park. The sun had just made it down below the trees across the park. It was a rather beautiful sight to behold. Nick allowed her to sit and get situated before sitting next to her, throwing his arms across the top of the seatback of the bench.

“I… I don’t know how…” Judy said quietly, stopping short.

“You say it. You ask it. Plainly.” Nick said with a smile, side-eyeing her in her discomfort.

“I want to help you. But I don’t know what to do.” She admitted.

Nick jerked his snout up suddenly. He was indicating that Judy should look out beyond the grassy plain and pond at the view.

“You’re doing one of the right things. Watching this with you means a lot. I could never verbally convey the sentiment that I have right now or the thankfulness that I feel. Inevitably, you would have figured something out and committed to it, so I wouldn’t be all that worried about it.” Nick replied seriously. “But how are you doing? Really.”

Judy shrugged a little as she contemplated what that entailed.

“I think that I’ve been overworking myself to deflect from the issue personally.” Judy reasoned.

She looked over to find Nick leaned forward, staring at his paws while nodding sadly. He was smiling a little, likely due to the fact of her work ethic, but they both knew that it wasn’t a good thing with the present issues looming overhead. He didn’t say anything, so that Judy could work it out verbally if she wanted to.

“How did you start this, Nick?”

“How did I start playing music? Or, how did I get involved with the crew?” Nick asked, looking over at the petite doe.

“With them specifically.” Judy refined her inquiry.

“Well, during the Nighthowler Protests, Randy ran into John. They worked together in protest defense after Randy’s was assaulted that last time. I had seen Dave around the Ward, but never gotten to meet him personally at that time. Later, after the post-serum quarantine and assessment, Randy had noticed the familiarity of the Mingan name, and decided to approach Dave about an outreach group for abused or traumatized preds. It was a nice idea considering how much PTSD floats around due to combat, internal and external abuse, and now a handful of formerly savage mammals and some third-party victims. I was the hardest for them to find and the only other one from the Nighthowler victims to join up. The rest want to forget about it in their own ways, I guess…” Nick explained kindly.

“Conflict? You mean, wars?” Judy asked, her head turning to look up at him in distress.

Nick, again, smiled sadly. “The richest and most political of mammals in Zootopia are the shot-callers and the poorest of the citizens are proud to serve or don’t have any other financial options. The demographics for the Self-Defense Force are historically pred-dominated, Carrots.” He continued. “If you believe the conspiracy theorists, it’s said that the propensity for armed conflict indicates an eager and legal means to purge the pred populations from the nation more quickly.”

“Do you believe that?” Judy asked, her mind whirring into action again.

“No. And, after the Nighthowler case? I’m more worried about more forward attempts at _‘reigning-in the pred threat’_.” Nick chuckled with a shake of his head. “Anyway, there are a lot of vets who participate in other activities that Randy and John organize.”

Judy nodded in understanding of the situation. “How did you know I was there tonight though?” She asked finally.

“Well, Dave thought he smelled a cute little bunny in the building this evening…” Nick said, laughing as she elbowed him firmly. “I knew you’d eventually suss things out and show up, so there was only one lapin member of our society who would be there.”

Nick thought it adorable that Judy attempted to hide behind her ears even though he could see her flushing regardless, muttering about stupid, sly foxes and the like as she did so.

“And the album you were covering from…?” She asked in embarrassment. She didn’t want to sound like a speciest in that line-of-questioning. “It’s so…”

“Yes, it was specifically tailored for what happened. _Metalliclaw_ catches a lot of shit from both preds and prey alike on that one. But it helps some of us and I believe that adapting it, to our situation, is akin to jabbing a nice sharp stick in the eyes of Bellwether and any similar-minded cohorts of hers.” Nick admitted carefully, not being able to help a laugh at the next bit. “I would certainly love to hear that Bellwether caught wind of our renditions and have that nice little _'fuck-you'_ send her into a mewling fit of rage behind bars. After what she put us through, I’d pay to see that…”

Judy sighed deeply. She had always felt like it was partially her fault after the press conference. Nick leaned over and grasped her quietly. He was hugging her close to his larger vulpine frame with all the endearment that could be conveyed. Nick wasn’t a hugger; foxes just weren’t that way for whatever reason. It certainly surprised Judy.

“Don’t apologize. Don’t think about that.” He said firmly as Judy returned the hug with a ferocity. “I want to thank you for all that you have done for me. Protecting me in that pit despite that _being’s_ determination to see you slain. And, Carrots, I will do anything to help you if the trauma ever crops up. Night or day. Rain or shine… You come find me, beat on my door if necessary, wake me up in the dead of night. I’ll do anything for you. No matter the hour.”

Judy’s heart was racing as she quietly drew his scent in small huffs. Looking up through the ruffles of his shirt, she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

“Nick,” She whispered. “How bad is it for you?”

“Uhhh…” Nick grumbled, trying not to laugh at his situation. “Promise you won’t freak out?”

 _“Nick!”_ Judy’s eyes shot open wide, tears starting to stream down the short fur on her cheeks.

“If my mind doesn’t calm down when I sleep, I’m probably going to get evicted…” Nick said, chuckling sheepishly despite himself.

Before Judy could even respond, Nick used his thumb-pads to wipe the tears away. It didn’t halt the look of fear that had overtaken her like the rapture itself. He decided to throw her off by smushing Judy’s cheeks together and rub them gently. It prompted annoyed squeaks and a surprised tittering from the doe. The sun was gone, and the last rays of light were dimming out in the distance.

“I’ve been making plans for the likelihood, so don’t worry about it.” He spoke softly before sliding off the bench. “C’mon, Carrots. It’s getting late. Let’s get you back to the _casa.”_

With a content feeling sitting in her chest, Judy was happy that Nick had chosen to escort her back to her new apartment complex. His actions weren’t something new in this regard. Once Nick had gotten to know her properly, and wasn’t under threat from strong-arm tactics, he was a rather perfect gentle-mammal. Neither of them made light of the todd’s actions as he walked the street-side of the walk, kept a proper distance, and kept his head on a swivel for potential threats. Nick walked her all the way up to her door, since the elevator to the complex was out-of-service, and he smiled down at the doe. Judy opened the door and stopped, looking back at the red fox standing resolutely in the hallway.

“Home, sweet home, Fluff.”

Judy carefully reached up to grasp the red tie that Nick had on. She pulled him down to her level and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her nose in his shirt again.

“Thank you, Slick.”

Judy never saw the sly grin that Nick plastered on his mug moments before he pulled back enough to place his lips on the top of the doe’s head. She felt her fur ruffle as Nick breathed in deeply. He carefully regained control of his new tie as he took his breath…

And that was when Nicholas Wilde executed his plot: blowing a loud, wet raspberry into her fur before walking himself backwards, down the hall, so that he could watch the surprised twitching her nose made. As her features grew _redder_ and _redder_ in frustration and embarrassment. He had purposefully slobbered on her a bit. In his previously life, he never would have embarrassed himself in such a manner. However, Nick knew that he could make Judy smile.

“I’m going to get you, you sly fox!” Judy shouted, not able to help the grin spreading over her muzzle.

 _Oh, she’s mad…_ Nick thought to himself. _But, she’s smiling._

He raised a paw up to wave dismissively, knowing he looked like a condescending douchebag, and laughing a bit as he noticed that Judy was trying so hard not to flip him off. Something that the doe had learned from the todd after a rather frustrating traffic stop a couple of months back. Nick had felt so bad about that: with Judy, it was like teaching a kit.

“Goodnight, Judy. Sweet dreams.” He said politely. There was no hustle behind his grin, but Nick knew he was going to pay for that at some point.

He rounded the corner deftly and was out of Judy’s sight. The doe couldn’t help but try to wipe the drool off her head as she entered her apartment and closed the door. Before Judy could even commit to her normal bedtime routine, a grin split her muzzle deeply and she broke out in happy laughter at her friend’s antics.


	2. Pathways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been a long-hand writer for quite a while. Over a decade by now. So, you should anticipate the chapter lengths to be pretty standard here. New characters abound here: to expand on the world and Nick's life respectively.

A vivid set of green eyes glared at Nick through the gloom; the seemingly disembodied entity flitted back and forth over several paces in agitation. Closer and closer, they approached his position in the meadow. Barks and guttural snarling began to echo across at him. Nick knew he was close to the end here. But he loathed this so much.

_Karma must truly despise me to sentence such a punishment._

Strong hind legs propelled him towards the being on all fours. Nick could never control the fear that he felt in this place; the tears that would pour forth from his eyes. If his savage state at the museum hadn’t been so vivid, he would have believed that this was some kind of digital simulation. Unfortunately, it was all _too_ real for Nicholas Wilde.

The tears were a testament to that. Nick ran harder until the adversary cleared in his vision. An identical fox. Himself. The fur of the savage fox was matted, patches ripped out in places, covered in patchy-dried mud. And, his muzzle was saturated in the deepest shade of crimson from a recent kill. The visual sent the worst bolt of fear and dread through Nick every time he saw it. The stench of blood churned his guts as it tainted his nostrils. It was _her_ gore painted across the savage’s muzzle. It set a wildfire of rage loose within him.

 _“Nick!”_ The choked whisper echoed in his head.

The two foxes clashed together with an audible _thwack_ that reverberated around the meadow. Nick could feel teeth in his hind leg as he latched onto the side of the savage todd’s neck, yelping helplessly in pain all the while. He could taste two types of blood in his maw before he began to whip his head back and forth to tear the skin of his adversary. The fear started to rise in his chest, anticipation of the next step. As soon as the savage fox yelped, the area was plunged into darkness and Nick fell, howling, into the abyss.

It is a terrible thing for the mind to have a mechanism that makes you feel like you are falling while in REM sleep. The thrashing fear of a sudden death is a horribly shocking experience; in a place where you assume things are supposed to be relaxing and reassuring for you. Nick came out of it every time whining and yowling as he thrashed against the bed that he laid in. The room was permeated by the smell of fear and sweat as his fur clung damply to his lean frame. His breathing rattled and gasped forth as he sat up quickly, clutching the sheets to center himself in his newfound state of consciousness. Nick began to realize that someone was knocking on his door earnestly; his ears angling to the sound to confirm it.

 _“Fuck.”_ He said quietly, glancing up at the ceiling.

Once everything came together, the todd grabbed his shirt and threw it on to answer the mammal at his door. He didn’t bother to button it up as he made it way out of his room and across the living quarters. Flicking the dead-bolt to the unlocked position with a claw, he opened the door. The clock over the stove glared a 3:13 AM notice from across the kitchen. Nick sighed but let a heavy smile set on his muzzle as he looked down at Tracy Hudson, the red squirrel landlord, who returned a sad smile of her own.

“Miss Tracy. Come on in.” Nick said, standing aside for the smaller mammal’s entry.

As usual, the female waited for Nick to turn his back before hunching down and leaping on top of his head. Tracy laughed as she caught ahold of one of his triangular ears in her small paws. The todd closed the door with an admonishing chuckle.

“You know… If I had a girlfriend or a mate, she’d be pretty miffed that you hang all over those.” Nick said as he walked over to the dining room table and sat down.

Red squirrels were highly territorial, so it never seemed to bother Tracy one bit to emphasize that the building was her domain but that she would take care of all her tenants ferociously. Tracy had gone as far as moving Nick and another tenant around, after his first bouts of PTSD-induced nightmares cropped up, so that he was directly across from her own flat. Nick had always been grateful for her help and in awe of her tenacity.

“Well, Mister Doritos,” Tracy said matter-of-factly, giving one of his ears a hug before hopping down onto the tabletop to take a small seat that he had bought for her. “If you had a girlfriend, I’d tell her to stick her complaints up her nose.”

The todd scoffed and rubbed his muzzle a bit.

“And, how are you supposed to get a boyfriend if you’re always smelling like sweaty fox?” He asked, poking her chest gently. “Hm?”

The doe squirrel released a chittering laugh before winking. “Don’t worry about that. I get laid more than enough for the both of us.” Tracy bragged happily.

“Too much information, darling…”

Tracy laughed a little more before watching the exhausted todd closely. Nick Wilde’s appearances were literally night and day since the Nighthowler Case. Right now, he looked like a sore ragamuffin and during the day, he would be immaculate. Even she knew that it was all cover to keep other mammals off his back about things. The diminutive female couldn’t help the frown that fell on her muzzle.

“How’s counseling going, Nicholas?” Tracy inquired.

“I’m supplementing more time playing music and gave up the second shrink meeting to try something new. It has helped with knocking down the day-drifting.” Nick explained the new routine. “I still see the docs once every two-weeks for the night terrors. Sorry if I woke you, by the way…”

“I just got back from a date that I was on, Nicholas. You didn’t wake me up.” She said, patting his paw gently.

“Oh-ho! Out and about, getting _squirrelly_ , huh?” Nick said as he waggled his eyebrows.

Tracy laughed and shook her head. “I’m going to ignore that kittish deflection attempt.”

Nick couldn’t help another chuckle before the smile melted away from his muzzle. Tracy’s ear flickered as she stared at the fox intently. It was slightly unnerving.

“How is Missus Martin doing?” Nick asked finally.

He watched as the doe flinched a little. Jacqueline Martin was a younger rabbit tenant living upstairs from Nick. The poor female had lost her mate in a car accident some time before Nick and Judy had first met. Nick had never gotten to meet Peter Martin: only his mate and their four kits since he had moved in.

“They’re having troubles sleeping still…” Tracy admitted.

“Have you lost any more tenants?” He asked warily.

The squirrel nodded smally, raising to couple of digits on her paw to indicate how many. Nick’s ears pinned back in frustration at himself. He had lived on and off the streets long enough to know the importance of finances and he knew that his issues were costing Tracy.

“You have to let me know if she’s makes any suggestion of having to leave, Trace. I know she can’t afford anything better right now and similarly priced living spaces aren’t in good neighborhoods. They also aren’t local to the school those kits go to.” Nick informed his friend.

“You can’t do that to yourself, Nick. The city owes you as much as they do Miss Hopps, and you know it.” Tracy huffed. “I’d put you up here for free, you know that.”

“I know finances, though. You’re taking a hard-enough hit as it stands. I’ll leave before I see that family end up somewhere near Happy Town or some other shithole.” Nick said harshly. “And, I won’t take anything from you for nothing. You know that.”

“Nicholas…” Tracy began. “I have a place down the road that I can put you up in. It’s a house that would allow for more privacy and still allow you to stay near the precinct.”

Nick couldn’t help but let a sad chuckle. “I can’t afford that place.” He admitted sincerely.

“There’s nobody you can go in on it with? It’s got two bedrooms and a convertible office.” The doe explained.

“Nobody that I wouldn’t spook or who works in the local area and could see the justification.” He laughed.

“And, what about the illustrious Judy Hopps?” Tracy said suggestively, raising a brow. She watched as Nick’s tail flicked happily at the thought despite himself. “Oh, you lady killer, you…”

That made Nick balk a bit, smiling awkwardly and shaking his head. “Let’s both agree that that is the poorest description of my flirtatious nature considering all that happened, huh?” He said in embarrassment. “But I’ll think about asking her. Thank you for the offer.”

Tracy stood up and ran up the todd’s arm to climb on his head.

“You’re a good fox, Nicholas. Don’t ever think otherwise. Now, escort your fair landlord to her door, please.” Tracy ordered.

Nick couldn’t help but laugh at her antics and the prompt tickling his received to his ear. He stood up and batted at the squirrel playfully before pushing his chair in.

“Onward, faithful stud!” She said from above, no doubt pointing towards the door.

The todd sighed in mock annoyance, walking over to the door and out of his apartment. He promptly opened Tracy’s door for her and felt her hop down to the knob, and then to the floor. Tracy turned around and waved at Nick happily.

“Thank you, Nicholas. For everything.” She said heartfeltly. “If you need anything, you come get me immediately.”

“Of course, Miss Tracy. Thank you.” Nick said, waving before carefully closing the door.

Once back inside of his apartment, Nick took stock of his refrigerator and making himself some breakfast. Once his omelet was finished, he walked into his room with the plate and flipped on the light. Calmly, though not without a frown, he ate his breakfast and surveyed the mess that was his bed. He had shredded another pillow in his fitful bout of sleep and the covers were strewn about. One he finished his omelet, he set the plate in the kitchen sink and removed his shirt.

Nick went into the bathroom to find that he was covered in little bits of foam that had come from the pillow. The fur on one side of his muzzle was matted against his jawline and jutting out at odd angles across his frame.

“Well, bud. If you don’t look like the definition of what a ‘mess’ is then I don’t know what one is.” Nick chided himself.

He decided to clean up before working on the room. Turning on the water to the shower, he quietly stripped down to his fur and closed the shower door behind him as he stepped under the pulse of the water. The warmth seeped into his fur and permeated his body as Nick released a sigh of relaxed contentment.

Luckily for the todd, Chief Bogo had given the pair the day off due to a glut of overtime that they had racked up over the last two-weeks on a smuggling case. The influx of new officers to P1 meant that the shift could be covered by other FTOs than Judy. Bogo would never say it outright, but Nick knew that he was concerned for the pair after the museum. Only after an otherworldly amount of work had been accomplished would he give out off-time to his officers. So, it wasn’t as if Karma had it entirely out for Nick, by his accounting. Judy pulled down the most mammal-hours of the department, with McHorn and Fangmeyer following up closely. It meant that their partners were offered reprieves more often than others. A balance of dedication to work and fairness between all the officers if you will.

It meant that today, Nick could relax to a degree. Neither Nick nor Judy were expected back in the bullpen until Monday morning. The todd only wished that he could get a better sleeping routine going for himself. The doctors had said that there were medications that could be given to him for the nightmares, but Nick was extremely wary of narcotics of any kind. He had witnessed enough mammals be harmed in his time from both legal and illegal narcotics use. Nick knew that it wasn’t likely going to be the case that he would be able to take anything heavy, for a short period of time, and subsequently have a high-rate of success. He had outright refused even having the conversation with the doctors about it. The other issue was what was and wasn’t allowed to that end due to his job. It was an inevitability that Nick would have to speak to Chief Bogo about.

After washing his coat thoroughly, Nick shut the water off and stepped out into the fur-dryer with a towel. The mornings were starting to become crisp as the fall rolled in. Colder in the morning, but still a little too warm in the evenings for the todd’s liking. While Nick liked the natural seasons, he preferred the cooler of the months. He might have liked the summer more if he had excuses to visit the beach around the Riverside ZTA stop. Or, even Dead End. A little more bustling, but the water was warmer. Riverside was closer due to his proximity to the Acacia Street line in Acorn Heights.

Finally, Nick stepped out of the fur-dryer and rubbed any residual water out of his coat while searching for his brush. Quickly, but soundly, the todd made himself ready for the day and threw some clothes on. Once Nick had pocketed his everyday carry items, including a custom inside-the-waistband Kydex holster for his tranq sidearm and an appendix holster for his stungun, which both went in his waistband before his belt was ratcheted down a bit. Nick slipped his clip-on badge to the front of his belt and promptly left the apartment. He would clean up later.

A little after 5:00 AM, he reached the local coffee shop at the corner of Acacia. Whenever the todd had been in this part of Savanna Central, he always stopped in at Kendra’s Coffee. It was somewhat of a waypoint before he either went into Sahara Square. The atmosphere was pleasant, and the employees were kind. Nick grinned softly as he used his sly abilities to sneak into the shop and lean up against the fridge near the front display case. He watched as Kendra Oliveira hustled around the recently opened shop and listened to her three employees bantered in the back room. Suddenly, the jaguar looked around: having obviously sensed or smelled the presence of an unknown mammal on the premises. She finally found the fox grinning cheekily from around the corner.

“Nick Wilde, you sneak!” Kendra said loudly. “You nearly gave me a heart-attack.”

The todd started chuckling and thrust himself off the fridge so that he could give his order properly. Not that it was entirely necessary, Kendra and her dayshift manager Angela Dyess knew exactly what he always ordered.

“Can we go easy on the blueberry creamer today, Kendra? Please?” Nick asked.

“Not before I get an apology, dumbass!” The jaguar said loudly, her annoyance was a feint and she played it well with a paw over her heart.

Nick, seeing through it and smiling, played along. “I apologize that my outstandingly foxy appearance startled such a fair lady as yourself, Miss Kendra.” He said smartly.

The snort that Kendra made prompted a laugh from Nick. She rolled her eyes and began working on his usual order.

“Angela fills that visual foxiness quota just fine, thank you.” She replied before letting her voice soften. “Going a little strong on this one, Nick.”

The todd merely hummed his confirmation at Kendra’s observation. Nick was preoccupied with the birds flying around outside of the building, but his ear flickered at the sound of claw-tips quietly clattering on the floor. He gazed over to find Angela Dyess stepping out from the backroom. The vixen was a rather fluffy marble fox with an impressively sleek and gray-tinged white coat. The result of a color mutation in red foxes, or so Nick had read when he was a kit. The vixen’s lips curled back in a kind and happy grin at the todd as her ears shot up high and forward. He smiled a little and gave a polite nod.

“Good morning, Nicholas! How are you?” Angela greeted him jovially.

“I’m fine, thank you.” Nick said, never failing to notice how happy it made her to see him in the shop. “How are you?”

“I’m happy that it’s Friday!” The vixen tittered, prodding her boss’s leg in a semi-antagonistic manner. “The boss-lady has two new kits to train for the weekends! Are you working?”

 _You can tell she’s a bit younger. She was raised well for a fox. There’s a lot of optimism in this city for her because of it,_ Nick thought to himself.

“I’m always working.” He replied, keeping an air of levity mixed with the mystery.

The russet todd was happy for her in that regard, though he was no fool. Nick could tell that Angela had eyes for him and it was certainly flattering, to say the least. It was one of the reasons why he was merely cordial with her and that was subset to why he only ever flirted with females that weren’t interested in the todd. For whatever reasons. There were females that Nick got on like a house on fire with, but they were usually older or not of his species. The _“safe ones to test the waters with”,_ he would tell himself in his youth. For instance, there was a pleasant dynamic with Kendra, but she wasn’t one for interspecies relations. On the other paw, Tracy would not have minded that aspect: if not for the fact that the differences in size classes precluded sexual relations. And, that mattered to her as much as Nick knew it would for him in the eventuality. Those were the first two groups of females. There were others, of course, that fit those two classes. But strong friendships were built firmly on those understandings.

The females were certainly not dim to Nick’s learning curve comprehensions in his youth nor his confirmations that the tactics still actually held _tact_ these days. He had known Kendra for nearly two-decades, but only known Tracy since after graduating POST, respectively. The third tier of females, and understandings, were that those with some level of purity – undefiled by the city – should be left alone. Thus, Nick would not ruin Angela’s current perspective of life by being a metaphorical viewport to the seedy underbelly of what the city actually was. The todd would spare her of that. Angela would find a fine young todd soon enough and would possibly never know of how dark things once had been.

The things that already stained Nick.

The fourth tier of females, and understanding for Nicholas, could be argued as a muddling of the third. The former con-artist had become a law enforcement officer. A class of mammal that _confirmed_ the realities of life. But, subsequently and more specifically, the city of Zootopia as a whole.

 _Heh…_ Nick chuckled mentally, taking the offered coffee from Kendra after paying her.

“Thank you.”

The _“muddling”_ … Well, Judy Hopps fit in that third tier of Zootopian residents by technical definitions. But, she was also a law-enforcement officer. Nick had watched as more and more of the understanding of the underworld was drilled into her since his graduation. The todd didn’t know if the doe was alright with interspecies relations or not. It did not change the fact that Nick had grown to respect her deeply.

It also did not change the fact that Nick had fallen in love with Judy Hopps shortly thereafter.

 _Now if only Karma would quit treating you like a personal kink in the femdom category on Pawhub…_ The Cynic laughed harshly.

“I’ll see you ladies later. Thank you.” Nick called out, waving over his shoulder before he walked outside.

The wry smile on Nick’s muzzle was born of the Cynic’s comment and not kindness to the coffeeshop employees, and certainly not out of concern for his next meeting. The todd did not want to seem rude. He was just distracted.

After his paws carried him several blocks, the coffee was drained from the to-go cup until the cup was pitched into a trashcan in the plaza. It had certainly been a strong cup of Joe and he was thankful for that. Nick couldn’t help as his ears flicked around to take in all the sounds. He ignored the whispers of recognition while focusing on any potential threats in the area until he made it to the door.

The sly and sneaky nature in him returned with a vengeance. Desk Officer Benjamin Clawhauser wasn’t paying attention due to his new Gazelle memorabilia that he had picked up at the recent concert. Nick promptly hustled over to the stairwell to dart upstairs without being seen by the officer successfully. As soon as he made it to the Chief’s door, he rapped his knuckles against it firmly.

“Enter!” Bogo hollered from within.

Nick hopped up to jerk the door handle down; grateful that the Chief had switched out the original knob for something that the smaller mammals of the department could leverage. He rounded the edge and shut it promptly before turning to face his boss. The large water buffalo eyed the todd with a look of surprise and concern. After all, Officer Nick Wilde didn’t usually volunteer to come up and see him.

“Good morning, Wilde.” Bogo said after Nick had hopped up into the available chair forward of his desk.

“Good morning, Sir.” He replied in kind.

“Must be pretty serious for you to be here on your day off.” Bogo commented, looking the fox over. “How are you doing?”

“I’m alright. I just had something that I needed to run by you, is all.” Nick explained shortly.

“I’m sure it has nothing to do with the massive amount of body glitter that exploded out of Officer Snarlov’s locker the other day?” The water buffalo said firmly, trying to see if there was a tell from the todd.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Sir.” Nick chuckled softly.

“Mhmm…” Bogo huffed. “What’s on your mind?”

“I need to ask about a possible prescription that I might like to try.” Nick said warily.

“For the nightmares.”

Nick had to give it to the gruff pain-in-the-ass. He missed nothing and todd merely nodded.

“Are they becoming a problem, Wilde?”

“I’m concerned that the effects will soon prove to be… adverse… in respects to day-to-day operations, Sir.” Nick admitted. “I’ve tried to avoid this topic with the doctors for a long time, but the lack of meaningful sleep is starting to take a toll.”

“The doctors did mention that you vehemently refused Prazosin.” Bogo confirmed. “As long as you have a ’script for it and no serious emotional responses come from its use, there’s no problem with it, Wilde. What are you thinking, though?”

Nick sighed audibly. The action felt like it took all the energy out of him and forced him to sit back against the chair tiredly.

“I’d like to request permission to have a short trial dose issued so that I have a readily available choice in the matter, Chief. Two-weeks’ worth, I’m thinking.”

Bogo sat back in his own chair while considering the option for a moment. His brow furrowed in pensive thought.

“Have you considered also using some of your PTO or vacation days, as well?”

“I’d like to hold off on that until I see how the medication works, Sir. I have considered it, though.” Nick nodded his head again. “That’s an extreme last-resort and I’d like to leave it that way right now.”

“I’ll call your doctor at General and update your counselor now then. You take the prescribed dosage over the next two-weeks. We’ll revisit the idea of time-off after that period. Sound fair?” Bogo explained, leaning back forward to plant his elbows on the desk. A resolute gesture from the buffalo despite it looking like he was praying due to the lack of digits. The message was conveyed regardless.

“It does, Chief. Thank you.”

“Good. You should be able to go straight to the pharmacy at the General Hospital without having to see the doc. They’ll know the initial dosage, I would imagine. We’ll consult Monday morning after rollcall to see if you will continue or if there are issues before pressing on with it.” Bogo ordered sternly. “Get some rest, Wilde, and get out of my office.”

Nick chuckled and hopped off the seat easily. “I knew I was growing on you, Chief. Thanks.”

“Akin to mange if you keep up the pranks.” Bogo growled. “I’ll have your tail if the cleaning crew claims any more OT due to glitter!”

Nick couldn’t help the barking laugh that came from his deep within his chest. He threw a lazy salute to the Chief of Police before leaving the office. The todd hustled his way down the stairs and out of the building just as he had come in. On the down-low. Nobody was any the wiser to his presence due to it being not too long after rollcall had come to its conclusion.

It took a little over thirty-minutes to get to the hospital. Nick decided to save himself the time and just went to the pharmacy. The todd did run into his doctor and they spoke briefly on the subject. Once he had the prescription, he decided that it was time for breakfast. He slowly meandered back to Kendra’s. And, another coffee. Shortly after 9:00 AM, he arrived quietly again.

“Thank you for using the door properly this time, Nick!” Kendra called, looking up as the bell rang from the door handle.

“You act like I came in through the basement window earlier.” Nick said with a laugh.

“The usual, Nick?” Angela called out.

Nick had walked down to the furthest low-backed booth in the shop as he usually did.

“Please, Miss Angela. And another coffee.” He replied as loudly.

There were a couple of other patrons in the shop, both at the high-top bar near the display case. Law enforcement training added on to what Nick learned in his conmammal days. The todd made assessments on mammals so that he knew if he was marked. It was so that he didn’t get shot in the back or tranqed by either a miffed business partner or a criminal. The two weren’t a threat by Nick’s assessment. Kendra brought his second coffee over shortly after, as Nick heard the bell _tinkling_ against the door handle, but he didn’t look up yet to do a mental canvas of the newcomer. As it turned out, he didn’t have to.

“Nick!” A voice emanated towards them. “Hi, Kendra!”

The todd looked up to see Judy jogging over to his table as Kendra threw a finger up at Angela for the doe’s usual drink.

“Morning, Carrots.” Nick replied with a smile.

“Good morning, Judy. Got the usual coming right up.” Kendra said, leaving Nick to the bubbly gray bunny.

The doe hopped onto the seat across from the todd and smiled politely. Nick could tell that Judy had forced herself to settle down a bit. Her demeanor was reserved. Slightly harder to read, but still kind. Nick could tell by her ears; they were raised by not completely erect and it seemed like it was purposefully reserved for her.

“I went over to your place, but Tracy said that you had gone out.” Judy said softly.

Nick couldn’t help as an appreciative smile overtook his muzzle before he could take a drink. The inner parts of his ears grew hot as he tried not to look at Judy: who was intently staring at him.

“I had to meet with the Chief this morning about a prescription.” Nick said plainly, taking another sip of his coffee. “I needed to make sure that it wouldn’t be an issue on the job before submitting the question. I’m sorry that you missed me.”

“It’s fine, Slick. I’m just glad that you aren’t in trouble for the glitter prank.” Judy said, breaking out into a fit of giggles.

“Officer Hopps,” Nick said admonishingly. “I most assuredly have no idea what you’re referring to.”

Judy threw her paws over her mouth as she continued to titter at the todd’s antics.

“I’m sure you don’t, sly fox,” She finally managed, pausing to straighten-up uncomfortably. “Anyhow. Is the medication for sleep?”

Nick’s ears pinned back immediately, and his mind went into damage control on that issue. He simply could not hide much from Judy like he had success doing before. The todd could keep his emotions better in-check when it was a conversation had with other officers in earshot. The lie or deflection had to hold with them, after all. Sometimes it was convincing enough to Judy, as well.

“No. It’s supposedly used to suppress PTSD-induced nightmares. Prazosin, I think Doc called it. Two-week supply, one a night, weekend trial before reporting to Chief Bogo. Then, I either chase or cut bait after Sunday night.” Nick stated, explaining everything.

“What else did the doctor say?” Judy asked, looking at him expectantly.

There was hope and concern written all over the doe’s muzzle. It was quite endearing, indeed. Nick wanted to see that smile again.

“Doc said that it might help my blood pressure.” The todd replied, smiling.

The wise-ass comment brought that smile of hers forth, as well as making Judy laugh again. It was so nice to hear. Nick noticed that Angela was bringing two plates of food over to them. Judy didn’t have to look around. She could watch Nick’s reactions and hear the approach of another mammal. Because the todd did not look concerned, Judy knew that it was likely their food being brought up.

“Here you go, guys. Thanks for being patient.” Angela said jovially.

The marbled vixen paid close attention to the patrons’ reactions. Nicholas gave her a polite nod before looking back out the window in careful contemplation. Judy, on the other paw, gave a verbal thanks and then began watching the todd intently. The vixen was young, but she could see that something was transpiring amongst the two. Quietly, Angela made her way from the table to attend to the other customers.

“That little vixen is interested in you.” Judy whispered across the table at Nick.

The todd turned from the window to stare at Judy with a smile barely tugging at the corner of his lips.

“I promise that I knew before you did.” He replied wryly.

“You’re not interested?” Judy asked, her ears standing tall as she tried to work on her salad.

“Angela’s a little younger than you, she didn’t grow up like I did, and there’s no sense in tainting her with that history. With the things that I’ve witnessed.” The todd explained casually.

Judy was surprised to hear the undertones of seriousness and severity in Nick’s words. It wasn’t a tinge in the words that made them heavy. It was the past and him knowing things already. Maybe it was a relationship that never made it off the ground. It might have been couple of strong potential relationships that had been deflected by Nick’s conning days, as well.

“You could always not say anything about those days?” Judy asked.

Nick looked up past the eggs that he was about to beginning chowing down on, having already been munching on a bit of bug-bacon in the interim.

“There’s too much curiosity in her; y’know, from being ten-years younger and all…” Nick began, taking the fork-full before continuing. “I could say nothing, but she’d meet someone who knew me from then or from now that knew more. Like yourself, for instance. Then questions would arise, and a decision would have to be made…”

The doe watched as Nick took on his inner monologuing persona while chewing through his eggs quickly.

 _“Do I explain it to her and extinguish the light in her to some degree?_ Or… _Do I roll the dice, lie about it all, and see where it gets me down the road?”_ Nick explained, raising each paw as if they were bowls on a beam scale. “The honest answer is that there’s no real difference in the two choices, Carrots. Both choices require a lie to be told. Namely Option-A. What is your past if the actuality, of what was, is no longer supposed to be?”

Well, the salad was certainly interesting in her eyes. Judy had been staring at it for a minute or two so that she could process the wisdom behind the words. She certainly didn’t want to see anybody get hurt to such an extent. But it meant that Nick was sacrificing a possibility at happiness. That was the conundrum.

“Because my furry-red backside certainly didn’t just appear into existence suddenly. That’s for sure.” Nick finalized with a laugh.

The todd chowed down a little faster while Judy was thinking. He couldn’t read her perfectly, but there was an issue. She was thinking hard, which meant her nose was twitching again. Nick could not help but feel a strong urge to reach out and poke it softly. The adorableness of the scene before him was… well, it was damned adorable. He pulled out another card to ease the urge back in his chest.

“You are absolutely, positively the cutest thing on the planet right now.” He muttered pointedly, purposefully trying to draw Judy’s ire.

_Twitching… Stopped. Ears, snap! Eyes, pinched at the corners. On a scale of Perturbed to Volatile, we’ll call it a four – Frustrated._

“You’re still owed for last night and you want to keep pushing buttons, Slick?” Judy said, trying to bring some heat into her voice. And failing, as Nick saw it.

“Oh! I’m sorry. I forgot to do my Jack Savage and yell _‘mission accomplished’_ like in _Ghost Protocol.”_ Nick said dramatically, earning him an even more stern glare as he flat-palm slammed an imaginary red button, before grunting loudly with one final, fisted slam on the table. _“Nngh!”_

_Karma save me, I might die… But she’s laughing…_

Nick watched as Judy’s eyes closed, the laughter overtaking her features as she could remember the movie well enough. The fox took in the sight of her high, twitching ears. The flash of those adorable pearly bucked teeth as the doe tried to bite on her lower lip to stifle the cutest of squeaks and giggles from pouring out. Her paws somewhere between trying to cover her mouth and nose and wiping down her face in mock frustration. Judy eventually began wiping the humor-filled tears from the corners of her eyes before resuming her salad.

The todd, on the other paw, could not halt the elevation in his heartbeat or how the tip of his tail whipped around happily. And, fortunately, outside of Judy’s view.

 _Who needs blood pressure medication when somebody like this sits in front of you?_ His inner version of Hope implied firmly.

“Anyway,” Nick continued after drinking more of his coffee. “Angela will find a young todd that matches her Ki better than I ever could. It is what she deserves: as polite and kind as that vixen is.”

Judy looked up at Nick and nodded her understanding wordlessly so that she could polish off her salad as the todd began working on his pancakes. The carrot juice was wonderful in her early morning routine.

“I was wondering, Nick. Is it alright if I come with you to your next meet at the bar?” Judy eventually asked, taking her time with her wording.

There was no hiding the look of surprise on his face and Nick knew it. He had been around the adorable lil’ bunny for too long, after all.

“I thought the music was a little concerning for you, Fluff.” Nick reminded the doe of her comments.

The young doe fidgeted in her seat a bit, embarrassed that she could not meet Nick’s eyes and knowing full well that he was staring right at her.

“It just reminds me of my screw-up is all.” Judy mumbled.

“You know better than that, Fluff. There were those who hated prey already. You weren’t going to change that even if you had run the conference clean. There were others who were stirred the wrong way by what you had said. Those preds saw what you did to rectify the situation and they became allies again. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t run into a predator who wants me to thank you for the efforts that you put in.” Nick explained while he finished off his plate, licking his teeth in the process. “Don’t dwell on what you’ve repented for. You’ve done wonderful things.”

“You helped with all of that, too.” Judy said pointedly, aiming her fork in his direction.

The gray doe watched as the todd withdrew his Aviators, flicked them open to rest them on in front of his eyes, and leaned back with his arms along the backrest. The absolute smuggest of grins plastered on his maw all the while.

“You know me, Carrots. I’m just here to smash stereotypes and be the foxiest of Reds on television.” He chuckled. “After all, _someone_ keeps spreading rumors that I’m hunting for the cover of Precinct 1’s fabled exotic calendar. For ZPD-eyes only. I didn’t know such a thing existed, so I might as well make a qualifying lap in case the organizers call.”

Judy guffawed at Nick’s peacocking; watching as he puffed out his chest and ran his paw over the top of his head. Those triangular ears pinned back aggressively, emphasizing his attractiveness in a lascivious manner.

“Is that so, Officer Wilde?” Judy asked in between her laughter.

The fox lowered his glasses enough to peer over the rim, eyeing Judy as she had decided to play along with his ego-inflating nature. It certainly sent a shiver up her spine as Judy noticed.

“I certainly hope it isn’t you, Officer Hopps,” Nick growled playfully. “The _long-con_ is to obtain my owed percentage. On top of _permanently_ becoming the poster-mammal of the ZPD…”

“Nicholas Wilde, you are absolutely incorrigible. You just remember how strategic you are in your _endeavors.”_ Judy commented seriously.

The todd finally removed his shades and laughed at her response. Judy had finally finished her salad while Nick was coming up on the dregs of his coffee. He almost ordered another but felt the prescription in his pocket as he checked for his wallet instead. He didn’t want to be up longer due to a high caffeination.

“Leaving the semi-joking topics behind. You’re more than welcome to come out. We won’t be doing anything until Thursday, though. I just want to let you know that last night’s set wasn’t what most would consider as _‘the dark stuff’.”_ Nick said, bringing the topic back and his paws up to do air-quotes on the last bit.

Judy’s nose twitched a bit before she nodded her head. One of her ears was lopped forward as she carefully kneaded the tender skin.

“You’re fine as long as it’s helping and you aren’t hurting anybody, Nick.” She agreed. Nick didn’t miss the doe become shy again. “I would still love to see you play more. If that’s alright.”

“Of course. The guys won’t mind and I’m certainly not going to shut you out.” He replied with a kind smile. Of course, Nick wanted her to be there.

Nick noticed that the two patrons, who had been sitting in, had left earlier in their long conversation. The location was quiet without anybody else there. It was pleasant for him, to say the least, and the todd wasn’t eager to leave. Between it being his day off and Judy’s new look of contemplation, he was content right there in that booth.

“The music does help, right?” Judy asked, learning how to broach things plainly as Nick had said.

“It’s the playing of the instruments that helps specifically. It has helped during the lulls while on patrol. I’ve been thinking more about playing the guitar or the drums as opposed to thinking back to being trapped in my own mind down there.” The todd answered, taking a drink of water that had been left for him earlier.

“But, not the dreams.” Judy commented.

“No. Not the dreams.”

“And, you’re worried about the medication?” She asked with a tilted head.

“Of course. I don’t want a dependency to form. It may not work at all, which I also fear. It could exacerbate the issues that I’m already having.”

Judy looked up at Nick with concern written on her muzzle; frowning deeply as her ears laid down against her back as she rang her paws uncomfortably.

“I can stay and keep watch over you, Nick. I owe you as much as you feel you owe me, you know.” She said firmly.

The todd smiled a bit. He scratched a small itch behind his ear while contemplating it. He knew she would eventually arrive here after hearing that he was going to test out some medication. She was tenacious like that. Nick was confident that while Judy had a concern for his possible eviction that she didn’t completely grasp how bad it was. The todd certainly did not want to frighten her further, but Judy would keep pushing. So, he had to make it clear while his tail bristled and whipped a bit in discomfort.

“Do you remember the sounds that I made, Fluff?”

Nick watched for the response closely. There was the twitch of the nose, of course, but the nervous giggle that softly poured out surprised him. The doe nodded without a word.

“After the first couple of complaints rolled in… Awfully specific descriptions accompanying them, mind you… I set up a video camera one night to gauge how bad it was compared to what I remembered.” Nick explained, laying his paws flat on the table as the todd let his gaze bore into the doe. It was a visual emphasis of the point. “If you feared it then. If you still periodically think back on it and find yourself frightened… What happens when I sleep, it’s as bad as it was then.”

Judy’s eyes had gone wide for a moment, but as the realization overtook her clearly Nick watched as a look of determination became firmly cemented on her complexion.

“I can stand it. You won’t hurt me, dumb fox.”

“I’m not going to argue with you, Jude. You’re just going to have to promise that if it gets to be more than what you can handle mentally that you’ll leave. Don’t stick around and let your mind begin to torture yourself.” Nick said with a bit of heat in his voice.

“You’re not going to fight me on this?” She asked in surprise.

“Puh-lease… You’re obviously not above _stalking_. If I fought you on this, you’d eventually talk yourself into some convoluted mindset that suddenly made it alright to enter a premise, without permission, with the spare key that you have.” Nick teased with a laugh, leaning back in his seat a bit.

“I didn’t stalk you!” Judy huffed loudly.

“The bird-dogging and stakeouts weren’t _authorized_ by Chief Bogo, Officer Hopps.” Nick said, continuing to poke a bit. “Like I said, though. I’m not mad. Don’t worry about it.”

The todd laughed a bit more as Judy looked at the table, muttering at him while her ears lit up in a blush. He was right, of course. With another deep huff, the doe resorted to being kittish and stuck her tongue out at the todd. After recomposing herself, Judy sat up properly.

“Have the doctors found anything new on the Serum, Nick?”

He shrugged a bit. “Yes and no. It was potent stuff. The docs determined that over the due course of time, it would have worn off. However, they couldn’t extrapolate how long or what cost would have been brought forth by being savage that long. Would you remain a prisoner in a dissolving prison until you broke free? Would you disappear with the receding confines and leave nothing but a shell behind? Or would the savage disposition eventually snuff your consciousness out and take full control?” Nick explained the situation, slowly gesticulating the weight of the options with his paws.

That was what startled Judy the worst. The doe could feel that it was not the pit or the trauma that each of them were facing in their own unique ways… It was the realization that, had it not been for an antiserum being quickly concocted, Nick would potentially have been lost permanently. That even the most stringent of efforts to mend his mind would not have been enough. Judy’s most cherished friend could have easily slipped away into a dark abyss without so much as a goodbye. She had to bite her lip to choke back the tears that were threatening to overtake her eyes.

Judy watched as Nick looked around. It looked as if he was making sure that nobody was near enough to be eavesdropping on their conversation. The todd turned back to see the tears in his eyes and frowned sadly before lowering his voice.

“The next bit must stay secret for now, Fluff. It’s quite serious.” Nick said quietly. Judy gave him a firm and serious nod in reply, looking around and using her ears to make one final assessment before nodding again for the todd to begin. “It was easy for us to miss in the scheme of things. But, after having been through it and witnessing it before that, it’s clear. There was a reason that Bellwether’s goons made it so potent. It didn’t even click for me, later, when you told me the backstory of your mother’s incident. It didn’t click before that when I was looking at the missing mammal posters…”

Judy became impatient with the todd for a moment, hissing out his name urgently. “Nick!”

The fox shook his head in contemplation.

“The serum isn’t genetics specific, Fluff.” Nick finally muttered. “And, only in the last week did that click in the minds of researchers and doctors, despite all the time they’d been working with the victims post-MMC. They’re just realizing that if Doug had been delinquent in his aim or management of his rifle, or if Bellwether had missed me and hit you… They just now figured out that _no portion_ of mammals is exempt from the rules of the Nighthowler.”

Judy’s pupils had to have dilated in realization of what Nick was telling her.

 _“Cheese and crackers.”_ She cursed slowly before the unease grew into anger. “Who knows? Why isn’t it being made public?”

“The researchers now, for sure. Bellwether’s goons had to have. Whoever we didn’t scoop up in the castle raid, maybe…”

“But, why hasn’t anything been said?” Judy said harshly, eyes narrowing at Nick.

“Remember what I said about minding the actual threats yesterday? Well, this is where the conspiracy theory of my own muddles my rule…” Nick muttered in embarrassment. “Someone could be holding back on purpose. Maybe the city council knows. Maybe just the new mayor. Maybe Bogo. Even if he doesn’t, Buffalo Butt is smart enough to have figured it out himself, I think… But, without past incident records, like with what happened to Terry? You’d have _to test it to prove it_. And, no mammal is going to volunteer to be that guinea pig, if you’ll excuse the phrasing. If it’s a conspiracy, then it’s better to keep it quiet and let the discontent between pred and prey fester all over again.”

“Serendipity…” Judy whispered.

“That’s just my mind in it, Judy. I don’t mean to worry you. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe the mammals, who need to know, do and they’re formulating a proper notification for the public that could be out in a week. Because they’re good mammals. Who knows…? Most of the researchers were prey. It might just be my cautious side coming up with the worst-case scenarios. I’ve always been wary of trusting mammals that I don’t know; you know that.” Nick finalized warily. He was already starting to become exhausted just from thinking about the concern.

“What if you’re right, Nick?” Judy asked urgently.

“The powers-that-be in that scenario can afford to sit back and let Zootopia stir itself. We could stir the pot in the opposite ourselves, but we wouldn’t be able to prove anything. Nothing except that we figured it out and are threats to the ‘plan’. The only bit of protection we would have then is that we said something, and if we turned up dead that it would prove it. Assuming that it was discovered that we had been killed… Too late for us, though.” Nick muttered bitterly. “We certainly can’t backchannel the warning. We don’t know who we can trust if that plan is in motion. I don’t think we have any choice but to act normal and somewhat dim, and watch to see what happens… We can’t just go running down the dark hallway blind.”

If Nick had been in a better mood at that point, he would have laughed at the fact that Judy was again about to catch air with how fast her nose was twitching. The storm of uncertainty within the doe was the vastest that Nick had ever seen within her because she realized that there was nothing they could do yet. The understand conflicted harshly with her strong desire to protect before anything could happen. There was no proof. It was a logical fear if you asked the right questions regarding the origin story of Bellwether’s discovery and understanding of the Nighthowler properties.

How did the sheep find out about it?

Was Bellwether, in fact, not the mastermind of it, but only a terror cell leader in a far greater network of assholes?

That first one, Nick knew, would shed light on a great many answers to questions not even conjured yet.

“Nick… We need to be careful,” Judy whispered, looking around somewhat fearfully. “We need to stick close to each other until we hear something more.”

The whiplash that Nick received from Judy’s emotional state was severe. He knew she was right, but it wasn’t what the todd expected to hear.

“We just have to act normal. Dim, like I said. Give nobody the idea that we might be clued in. If this is all crap, then we’re going to feel stupid having been so standoffish with everyone we consider close… They taught us in the Academy to trust our gut, though. I sincerely hope I’m wrong about this.” The fox conceded, rubbing his paws together nervously. “It would have been better to not say anything… You’re the one that I chose to trust, and I am not going to hide anything from you anymore.”

Nick felt as Judy reached across and grabbed his paw firmly. He brought his eyes up to investigate her amethyst-shaded ones properly. The beautiful gray doe had a tinged of fear in them, but an air of confidence surrounded her.

“So, then. What else do you have to do today?” Judy asked firmly. “It’s the weekend, which means movie nights like usual. If we’re going to keep up appearances, after all.”

“I need to go shopping if you want me to cook again.” Nick said, offering the information that he was short on prey food presently.

“I was thinking that it’s a cheat week and we binge on pizza.” Judy deflected the idea with a smile.

“Fine, but I’m ordering this time,” Nick countered with a teasing grin. “Stupid buffalo-ranch carrot pizza…”

Judy balked at the memory of forgetting to order a half-and-half one time. Nick had quite gallantly powered through eating the “oddly” tasting pie, but he had wanted the fried cricket and with extra cheese, and the todd was polite to remind her every chance he was able with a smarmy grin.

“Heh… I apologized for that…” Judy said with an embarrassed giggle. “I’ll swing by Bokbuster and pick up some movies then."

“Let me go clean up the pad and you can swing by whenever you’re done with the errands, then.” Nick said with a smile.

He watched as Judy happily nodded and they both stepped out of the booth after Nick paid the bill. Properly leaving more than enough to cover it and the tip. The fox guided the smaller doe out of the shop with a polite wave to the staff before they parted ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Truth be told, I had the majority of this done in four-days after the first chapter posted but got bogged down towards the end of it while trying to work Nick through his day. I've been juggling business and writing while slacking on sleep. I might make up for that for a day or two before starting on Chapter 3. I hope you all enjoy it.


	3. Trepidation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little hectic around here, but here is the third chapter. It's long and drawn out, and purposefully so. The whole story will be somewhat lengthy. The purpose is to remind people to really pay attention to the small details of every interaction. To be kind to everyone. And, not to treat something as small as a grocery store run as a commercial break in your life. It's also a focus on how emotional a day can be for us all. A sudden shift of events can alter a mood like the snap of a finger.

Judy had quickly run home before heading to the movie shop. She had to pick up her weekend GoRuck for a spare change of clothes or two, if it turned out she stayed at Nick’s longer than the night. The todd would likely protest and downplay everything at first, but he would not be able to hide behind his stoic nature if the night tormented him badly enough.

The most discerning thing about the day for Judy, after Nick’s concerns were aired, was the feeling that something excessive was about to happen. After all, she had seen _The Lost World_ and she was currently standing in a Bokbuster. The sudden _thud_ of a 76 Fuels sphere would startle her badly, of course. And, she could still hear Nick crooning on about how foxy the convertible Custom-S was. The doe certainly felt all these feelings considering that it was the age of Pawflix and Prime.

The fox and the bunny had an agreement. Movie nights were spent split between the two types of movie services. Judy would pick out older movies from the video store, seemingly fit for Nick, that she was intrigued by. Nick would choose the newer stuff from streaming services that looked like it might be interesting to him. From there, they would balance what they liked and what they thought the other would like. The process led to a lot of movies that neither had seen at all. And certainly, some that one fell in love with that the other already found endearing.

The uncomfortable feeling within Judy had not been felt before while working her way through the store. This was routine. The feeling was not. The bunny knew that Nick had always erred on the side of caution, going back to all the stories that he had told her, and she had high hopes that nothing would come of all of this. The thought did not bring any comfort, though.

Judy slowly meandered through the classic films section, humming slightly at the fact that there were plenty of gangster and country films to choose from, and carefully chose four titles from the shelves. Once she had paid for and stowed the films away in her purse, she made her way towards Nick’s apartment complex. The doe decided to take one little detour to the corner store. It was still early in the afternoon and there was no rush.

Seeing as it was a work-day for most mammals, there wasn’t a bunch of hustle and bustle in Harvest Moon Groceries. Judy made her way down the candy aisles to see what All Hallows Eve products were on sale. The holiday was still a ways out, but stores had begun having a propensity for putting up decorations ahead of time. The doe couldn’t help but smile at seeing other mammals and their holidays, though. Lapine culture did not include an All Hallows / Halloween. It was a canid and felid holiday. There had not been a lot of those species of predators in the Burrows when she was a kit and she never got to experience it.

 _I wonder of All Hallows is a thing for vulpine culture…_ Judy thought quietly to herself.

Judy had been extremely busy throughout the last couple of cases that her and Nick had been on. She pulled out her iCarrot and opened the notes app so that she could add the curiosity to the list. It had to have been about three-months back when she started coming up with things to research on vulpine culture so that she could better understand her partner’s life and tendencies. Only now did she feel that she might have time to look some of those things up. Once Judy finished tapping away on her smartphone, she stowed it and began wrangling Nick’s favorite kinds of gummy candies and some carrot candy corn for herself. As she turned around to head off to the non-alcoholic beverages area, she found a she-wolf standing behind her.

“Oh! I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to be in the way!” Judy said, startled that she hadn’t heard the wolf’s approach. It took a moment to notice that the she-wolf was wearing an employee’s garb.

“It’s my apology that should be heard. I recognized your scent and decided to see if you were who I thought you were.” The she-wolf explained, causing Judy’s eyes to grow wide. “You’re the doe who showed up at the club, aren’t you? Judy Hopps, I believe?”

Judy couldn’t help it as her paws tightened around the buddle of junk food in concern. Her minded tried to cycle through all the mammals who had been in the stillhouse as she nodded softly. The she-wolf smiled in a kind manner at this. The doe knew her darned nose was twitching anxiously on her face.

“Nick had told Dave that you might suddenly show up. He had given us all fair warning that you were probably concerned for him. I’m Rory Silverthorne… Dave’s girlfriend. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hopps.” The she-wolf continued, giggling smally. “I’d shake your paw, but you have your paws full of the todd’s goodies.”

A rapid feeling of embarrassment filled Judy’s chest and flushed her ears, promptly making them fall behind her head. It was somewhat true that she had more snacks for Nick than for herself. She was holding out for pizza, though… Logically.

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Silverthorne.” Judy greeted the she-wolf politely. “I was concerned for Nick, so I wanted to make sure everything was alright.”

“We assumed as much. You can call me Rory, by the way. Do you need a paw? I can bring a cart if you still need more.” Rory said, indicating to the goods that Judy was carrying around somewhat haphazardly.

“I just need a couple of drinks now. That’s all. And you can call me Judy.”

“Come on then. I’ll help ya.” Rory said, waving a paw for the bunny to follow her through the store.

Judy quietly followed Rory through the store and past some of the other customers until they were in the area that had all the drinks. The she-wolf was kind enough to pick up the required sodas and juices before leading the doe up to one of the front registers. It was odd that Rory stayed quiet the entire time. Judy could not help but glance at her periodically to see if anything might be revealed, but it seemed that inquires would have to be made.

“Can you tell me… How has he been doing? I only just managed to see what he had been up to…” Judy explained while Rory rang up the items.

“It would be dishonorable to speak on Mister Wilde’s behalf regarding to his condition. I will only say that he has seemed better, as they all have, and I imagine that he has already alluded to you himself about that.” Rory said passively, bagging the goods that Judy had procured.

“I see. If you’ve had a part in that, I’d like to thank you.” Judy said kindly, her ears raised in interest. It was pleasant to hear that Nick seemed to easily be making friends outside of the Precinct. The todd was always extremely reserved with strangers, after all.

“It has been hard for all of us, in some fashion, but it seems to be a good thing that we all found each other and that they started playing like they did. We’ve all helped each other, and Nick has been a lot for everyone. If there’s anybody whom we all should thank, it’s him. If you’ve had a paw in helping him along then, by extension, a thank you is owed to you as well, Judy.” Rory said with an honest tone. The scanner beeping along until all the goods were bagged.

Judy had passively stuck her bank card into the chip reader as she listened to the she-wolf’s explanation. It wasn’t a big deal to her. It was simply the desire to be a good friend for someone, whether they were going through a tough time or not. That was always something that felt natural to Judy.

“And, then, there’s the thanks you’re owed for saving more predators from a similar fate that Dave did.” The she-wolf said quietly, watching as Judy stepped around the bagging area to clear the register. Before Judy could retort, Rory spoke again. “I expect that you’ll be at the next practice. It was good to meet you, Judy Hopps. You have a nice day.”

The she-wolf smiled at the small doe warmly before turning to help the next customer in line. Judy took her bags after giving a quiet wave to the larger mammal. She could not help the sad smile that graced her lips before turning to head out to Nick’s apartment complex. The walk was filled with thoughts of Nick again and the gray doe had a feeling that they would end up doing a lot more talking, now that the todd was opening-up, as opposed to watching movies. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that, but Judy did not want to seem too intrusive due to her curiosity.

The path to the apartment complex was quick and quiet. There weren’t many mammals out on the workday and a lot of the post-lunch traffic had dissipated. Judy went through the entry doors of the Breezeway Apartment Complex and headed down the main hall of the first floor. Nick’s room was down on the end and she knocked once she was there.

“C’mon in, Fluff. The door’s unlocked.” Nick called from within.

She opened the door and was immediately greeted by the harsh smell of cleaning and freshening products with a gentle undertone of baking. The usual imbuing of musk seemed to have been purposefully smacked down and was only truly emanating from the todd sitting on a stool near the stove. Judy went over and set her GoRuck down on the couch before bringing the snacks over to the kitchen island. The doe hadn’t initially noticed that Nick had one of his guitars in his lap, but finally clued into something being up when she noticed that there was a noticeable gap in the collection on the wall.

“What are you doing, Slick?” She asked with a happy smile.

“Well, Officer Fluff, you are now a part of Operation Birthday Surprise. I’ve already done all the hard work, but you’re going to help me with the frosting and decorating of the cake that’s in the oven.” Nick explained in a low, conspirative tone.

Judy’s eyes shot open wide with glee. If there was something that she loved doing, it was secretive birthday planning for others. It was also an opportunity to see how Nick did things to prepare for whatever he might be planning for her birthday after the turn of the New Year. It was a win-win!

“Whose birthday is it?” Judy whispered.

“Tomorrow is Tracy’s. You know, the squirrelly lil’ landlord that I have across the hall.” The todd said with a smile. “I have to get her back for all the times she calls my ears ‘Doritos’ and uses them like ostrich reins.”

The memories of those incidents threw the bunny into a fit of giggles. Even more diminutive than herself, the squirrel was as feisty as a nest of angry hornets and it was always so entertaining to watch Tracy ride Nick around the area on occasion. Even though it did frustrate Judy in the beginning, causing Nick to poke fun at her periodically.

 _It’s so cute when you blow up your cheeks like that,_ he would say. And, subsequently, get boxed firmly in the side or in the arm.

Nick turned as the timer went off and he proceeded to pull the cake out from the oven to cool before they could layer it with icing. He carefully set it down on the stove top with the oven mitts and went back over to his guitar before considering Judy with a smile.

“You brought your bag along?” The todd inquired after a moment, tilting his head while his ear flicked gently.

“No! Don’t you deflect again, Nick. You’re telling me that I get to help with a surprise cake and get to listen to you play your guitar today?” Judy said firmly, pointing at the fox.

The look of bashful surprise seemed to overwhelmed Nick. He looked down and away while grinning widely as his tail swished around behind him. He was laughing lightly in all his embarrassment. Judy couldn’t help but watch as Nick’s fangs glittered and danced in the kitchen lighting. The doe could not help but feel intrigued by them despite her innate feeling of fear from sight. Nick would not hurt her with his fangs, or his claws and that knowledge made the sight equally exotic in nature. Judy also noted a gentle spike of violets on the air; his natural musk tempering the immediate vicinity.

Instead of verbally replying, the todd reached down to turn the power on to his amp before setting the volume. He carefully adjusted an earpiece that he had in before tapping out a command on his phone. Judy’s eyes went popped open wide as Nick began strumming a gentle intro that progressively got heavier. The amp quietly carried a heavy bass sound, though the doe couldn’t quite be sure knowing nothing of playing music, around the room. It was set lower than she would have liked but knew that it wouldn’t be good to bother the neighbors.

Judy watched as the Nick began gently nodding his head to what she assumed with the original track in his ear. The solo was carried with a soft biting of the todd’s lip or drawing of his maw behind those fangs. Nick could feel the music within his skull as he began to mouth the lyrics soundlessly, keeping tune with the song being played jovially.

 _“…face showin’ no emotion, shackled by my sentence…”_ His tone carried just loud enough over the riffs for a moment. _“…here there is no penance, my skin begins to burn…”_

Judy was leaned up against the counter and watching the musical display with a rapt fascination. It was certainly unexpected that Nick would just give in and play: even though he had said that he was done with hiding everything from the doe. And, all too quickly, the todd was hitting the final crescendo before letting the strings slowly draw out the conclusion until he finally _clicked_ the amp off. Nick unplugged the guitar and took it over to hang it up properly. An inward draw of breath hitched in Judy’s throat as she considered saying something.

“Whenever you want me to play, Fluff, just let me know.” He said all the while, feeling the doe’s eyes on him as he worked his way around the room. “You certainly seemed captivated by it, after all.”

 _Lion Christ,_ Judy thought in a panic. _I’m way too easy to read._

And what was worse… Despite his earlier demeanor, the music seemed to solidify Nick’s confidence around her. There was a suave firmness in his speech, and the todd looked extremely poised as he approached the kitchen island again.

“So, why didn’t you keep going?” She asked politely, trying to straighten out her emotions and tamper down the blush.

That, however, did not work. Judy looked up to find Nick staring straight through her with an unrivaled intensity. She had seen plenty of exceptional staring contests, between bucks and does, at Bunnyburrow High before she left for the city, of course… This was something entirely different. Nick’s pupils were slitted to a degree. It was not as severe as Judy remembered it being in the Museum and it certainly was not due to a sexual tension. Nick was simply peering into every nook and cranny of her emotion state to figure out what was on her mind. Frustration mounted, because the doe could not stop the slow turn-key sensation that began purring to her baser needs. The intensity of the impassioned gaze was arousing, and Judy hoped that he couldn’t tell.

On the other paw, Nick’s nose wasn’t twitching… Sometimes she was a dumb bunny, but she wasn’t a moron. There was no way he couldn’t sense it. He was a gentlemale. Nick would not say a word about it, but that was frustrating in and of itself because he could still hide things from her if he truly put the effort in. But… the inner monologue was broken when the fox diverted his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” He said softly. “They’re doing that thing again, aren’t they?”

“What?” Judy said in surprise, the reverie broken.

“The doctors told me that the pupil constriction would last throughout the rest of my life. It happens when I hit a high enough emotional level on any part of the spectrum.” Nick explained, rubbing his eyes in the process. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier, Slick?” She asked seriously.

Nick chuckled softly. “I only just decided to let you see all of me and let the consequences be damned, Carrots. I had hoped to explain before you witnessed it firsthand. And I would’ve rather you seen it from a third-party perspective as opposed to you being the target-in-question.” He explained.

Judy blinked for a moment before hopping up onto the counter and sliding her bottom around the edge until she was in front of the fox. She firmly, albeit carefully, took a hold on the scruffs of his cheeks to pull him close. It had surprised Nick when Judy smiled, though it should not have. The doe began rubbing her paws vigorously around his cheeks and then up to his forehead annoyingly. The todd could not help but laugh as Judy caught his retreating ears to ruffle them, as well. While Nick was caught off-guard by the affection, Judy was slowly becoming more serious in her adventures. The todd’s tail churned faster behind him as his head fell closer and closer to Judy’s frame.

 _Cheese and crackers… His ears are so soft and fluffy,_ Judy thought to herself.

 _And they certainly do look like the cutest lil’ Doritos… They’re certainly getting hot to the touch, as well,_ her inner Rebel drawled deviously.

A gentle whining caught Judy by surprise. Before she could fully hone-in on it, though, Nick was out of her reach and laughing as he gently began brushing his paws over his ruffled fur. He eyed her suspiciously all the while to make sure that she wasn’t about to leap out and continue her attack.

“Miss Hopps, you’re hereby restricted to whichever is the opposite side of the couch for tonight’s movies.” Nick declared loudly.

Judy began to sputter and wildly retort in annoyance, but Nick wasn’t listening. He rambled on about his gorgeous fur being smushed and mussed all about. Her long ears were erect and flushed badly at the display. The todd was swooning in circles and clutching his tail dearly.

“Geez, Carrots. I know you love me and all, but grabbing the ears? At least buy a todd dinner first.” Nick said bluntly, dramatically fanning his face for the effects.

This time, Judy jumped up on the counter properly, jabbing a little furry finger out at Nick: who was simply side-eyeing her provokingly. She regained her breath and laid her ears back purposefully to look somewhat intimidating. It did not seem to be working by the look of things.

“First off, you ostentatious peacock backside,” Judy said loudly while Nick did his best to strangle his laughter. “I wanted to cheer you up because I’m not afraid of that. I’m annoyed that you didn’t tell me sooner.” Once Nick seemed to be finished with smoothing his fur, Judy reached out and poked him firmly in the chest. “Secondly, why does Tracy get to hang all over them, but I can’t touch them? And, thirdly! You were enjoying it, Slick!”

Nick laughed, but grew serious as well, turning so that he could lean his back against the counter languorously with his head held back in a gentle tilt.

“Firstly, and for the record, I’m an _ostrich’s ass_ , Fluff,” Nick clarified, aiming an intent side-eye at Judy as his maw grew into a gentle but fanged smile. Judy knew that the todd was goading her playfully. “Secondly, Tracy’s like a kithood friend’s older sister. She’s off the market and totally out of my league. I _am_ ostentatiously handsome and charming, but alas, she could never love a fox like me. And, thirdly…” Nick paused for dramatic effect as he leaned towards the doe with his tilted head. “Being suddenly _propositioned_ in such a manner is always pleasant and enjoyable for a red fox.”

To her credit, Judy felt her body hold fast on the countertop, looming over the top of the todd’s long snout as she tried not to lose her composure. Where she lost points was not being sure if he was being serious about the connotation. Judy really did not know any better due to not having gone through her research yet. He was _slick_ indeed because her jaw fell open.

“Spoilt cabbages, Nick, I didn’t know that!” She burst out finally.

She watched as Nick practically rolled over along the edge of the counter, the grin never slipping away as the amusement danced in his eyes. The pupils fighting against the fox to constricted as they had been earlier. He rested his elbows on the counter and his head in his paws while looking her over.

“So, Fluffbutt…” Nick said with an intone. He was badly mimicking her. “Was _that_ the furthest you’ve ever gone with a todd?”

Judy’s paws shot out surprisingly quick in her embarrassment, boxing the hell out of his nearest shoulder as he began laughing loudly. Not even trying to fend her off.

“Nicholas Wilde, you are most certainly an ostentatious _ass.”_ Judy finalized the topic loudly.

Nick gasped loudly at that. “What would your mother think of you using such _language_ , Carrots?! For shame!”

Laughter continued to reverberate around the kitchen area as Nick rounded the island to collect up the needed supplies so that they could decorate the cake. A decently sized container of cake icing slid onto the counter and two spatulas were laid down near it. Nick proceeded to take a temp-gauge to the cake before deciding that it was adequately cooled for decorating.

“Alright, Carrots. Let’s get this thing whipped up and stashed at Tracy’s before she gets home.” He said happily.

“Sounds good!” Judy said jovially, picking up a spatula so that she could help.

The two quickly iced the cake properly and Nick allowed Judy to write out an elegant cursive birthday message on the top. Then, Nick decorated the edged portion of the cake itself with what Judy assumed was Tracy’s favorite color. Once he was done, Judy noticed that Nick took out a card from a folded jacket that was laid along the backrest of one of the bar chairs. Then, he brandished a pen and scribbled inside the card and on the front of the envelope. Once he was done, he handed the card to her.

“You should sign it, as well, Carrots. Make sure to leave a cutesy little doodle in there.” Nick said with a smile.

The doe took the pen and opened the card to find that Nick had drawn his own smiling fox figure, with the note: _“The kindness that you’ve shown will never go unappreciated. I hope you have an amazing birthday, Tracy. – Nick.”_

Judy looked up to find that Nick was no longer paying attention to the card. He was carefully sliding the cake onto a flat Tupperware plate so that he could put a cover on it. The doe quickly wrote a kind birthday message and a happy, winking bunny face in the card before shoving it in the envelope with a blush on her ears. She certainly did not want Nick to see such an embarrassing bit of imagery and she hoped that Tracy would not show him later. Judy slowly set the card down on the counter while Nick continued to slowly slide the cake into position on the pastry board.

“Alrighty, Carrots. Give me a minute. I need to go put this in her apartment.” Nick said, taking the card and placing it on the plastic container. “Go ahead and do whatever you need to do. You know where everything is. I’ll order the pizza when I get back.”

“OK!” Judy said excitedly.

The todd carefully carried the container out of apartment while jangling his keys around in his offhand. Once he had shut the door, Judy began unloading all the groceries onto the counter before ditching the plastic bag in the trash. Once that was orderly, Judy went over to dig out her toiletry bag to take into the bathroom and place on the counter. Coming out of the pleasantly warm bathroom, Judy’s ears went up and rotated around to listen for Nick. Her head carefully turned in contrast so that she could take in the visuals of the area. It was exceptionally clean in the apartment due to whatever measures Nick had put the place through.

Judy slowly went over and brushed her paw over one of the guitars as carefully as she dared. The wood-bodied acoustics had more visual soul to it than the immaculate electrics. Scratches from his claws pervaded the pickboard and portions of the fretboard. Dull, but still somewhat recent, smudges could be seen along the neck; what Judy assumed was Nick’s blood from his finger pads. There were several stickers on the body of the guitar: but the most prominent was along the edge of the body’s curvature, the livery of a flaming fox running along the edge. There was a very prominently displayed playing card near-to and behind the bridge: the diagram featuring a symbol of _“III-Up / III-Down”_ with an intense style of font. She knew enough to see that it was alluding to the Rule of Threes in fox religious culture. It was something that she needed to do more research on.

The sound of the door being politely, but firmly, shut behind Judy kept her heart from jumping into her throat fully. She was snooping, but Nick knew well enough not to give her a heart-attack. The todd feigned a surveying the scene poorly. Nick was giving her an out, though. He seemed to change gears when she remained quiet.

“That was my first one. Though, I think that was obvious enough.” He said with a smile, scooping up his phone before heading over and laying back into the couch with a voiding sigh.

Judy slowly walked over to take a seat nearby, turned enough not to strain her neck while focusing on the fox. Nick had certainly held onto a good front because he now looked like he was on Death’s door. Both his ears splayed down and outwards while his fur seemed to flatten against his body. Nick’s eyes were closed while he breathed slowly. His whole frame seemed to sink into the cushion without a care in the world.

“What’s the story behind your emblem?” Judy asked softly, sliding over to lean herself up against him in the hopes that the closeness would recharge the todd.

“Well, bunnies had to have heard of the original story of Karma. I think that, over time, they forgot everything except the part about Karma’s wrath. The Firefox form of Karma’s when a believer disrespects her and breaks the rules. Like your Pawpaw, they started believing that foxes were ‘made by the devil in the deepest pit of Hell’,” Nick explained with a soft chuckle. “See, Karma has two forms. The form that she takes is entirely dependent on your conduct in your life. One is that stereotypical angel’s aura for when you do right by others. The opposite is that of a vixen Firefox, a hellion coming for your pelt for angering her.”

“But, that kind of imagery…” Judy muttered.

“It’s the symbolism for me. You are one of only a handful of mammals who has ever seen it. I’ve never publicly or semi-publicly performed with it. It’s there to remind me, now, the cost of crossing Karma. I paid dearly for doing so – every single time – as a conmammal, Fluff. It reminds me to stay in the ladies’ good graces.” Nick answered quietly.

“Ladies?” She asked in surprise.

Nick’s lip pulled back slowly into a wide grin. He gave her a very bleary side-eye through his eyelid after looking over at the rabbit doe.

“Well, by my street-learned accounting, there’s Karma. Then, there’s you, of course. And, because you’re a cute little bunny, I must assume that Serendipity is sneaking around behind the scenes, as well.” Nick growled out with a humor-filled tone. “Oddly enough, you embody Karma’s traits rather handily for her. Always yanking my tie to straighten me out and, then sweeter than a basket of Hoops Farm blueberries when I’ve been good… Serendipity keeping you in line as a balance.”

Judy’s temperature shot through the roof as her eyes following the upward arc. The doe carefully used her paw to rub at her nose to hide her embarrassment. Nick laughed a little before picking up his phone to begin tapping away at one of the apps.

“So, you went shopping. Did Rory sneak up on you, too?” He inquired passively.

“Yes, I did!” Judy said loudly. “You didn’t tell me that Dave’s girlfriend worked there. I’ve seen her all the time!”

“Well, that would’ve given me up. I didn’t know you needed to stop in, otherwise I would have told you this morning. Sorry, Carrots.” Nick explained with a roll of his shoulders.

“I wanted to ask how they met, though. They seem really well matched.” Judy asked quickly, trying to cover her embarrassed huffing.

Judy looked over to find Nick’s face contorted in contemplated concern. He was staring off at the wall as his lip was curled up and over his canines. There was a mental argument behind had by the look of the twitching brow and flicking ears. The only portion of his tail that was in-motion was the tip, and only in a measured manner.

“Dave…” Nick said quietly, reforming a calm demeanor. Though, he did not look her way. “Dave was to be the successor of his family’s pack when he turned twenty-one. However, a power struggle occurred between the aunts and uncles several years before this could occur. The main portion of that pack supported Dave’s claim. But, the remaining factionalism kept the title out of his paws until the NHC. An aunt falsely supported him somewhere between his twenty-first birthday and him being victimized. They ended up forming a majority and it was looking good until Dave was struck with the Nighthowler. The aunt called herself his successor while he was missing and took the Mingan Pack over proper.

“Dave told me that nobody from his family’s pack visited while he was in the hospital and when he got out, he was crucified at the council meeting. They couldn’t _‘trust a ticking timebomb due to the unknown factors of Nighthowler,’_ they told him. The council voted unanimously to eject him from the pack. All this happened quite a while before I woke up, mind you, because Dave had one of the better successes with the Serum.” Nick paused for a moment. “Fluff, there’s something that you need to understand about wolves. In this day and age, unless a wolf is blatantly hardwired to the contrary, there’s no reason for a wolf to go out on their own. Pack politics have changed and inter-pack marriages, like the monarchy-style of politics, keep packs together.

“Dave Mingan was not a wolf born with a desire to go out on his own. His hardwiring was to remain with his pack. Foxes are predominately solitary, so I can’t tell you that I will ever understand the depth of that loss. He tells me that it could be equated to a red fox losing a mate. The depth might be worse due to how much of a family he lost and only offset by their ability to easily find another after the loss of their original mate… Those factors lead to a dark road. With no family or familial ties, the unlikelihood of being taken in by another pack, and even lesser chance of finding a mate – it leads to a very dark place.

“The long-story short is that Rory was walking home when she spotted Dave about to jump off a bridge. She talked him down and they’ve been close ever since. Rory’s been working on getting her family’s pack to bring him in. Not that it seems like _that_ will be a problem with them getting on like a house on fire.” Nick said, finally smiling a little at the thought of the couple being together.

Judy could not believe what Nick was telling her. It was so fortunate that Dave still had trust in any mammal. The sheep from the case, personal future compromised by her own statements, then being stabbed in the back by his pack. It was astonishing to hear. The anger belayed the desire to cry on behalf of the wolf: whom Judy had not even been formally introduced to. Dave, and all the other members of the group, seemed especially important to Nick. And Nick was important to her, dammit.

“You’ll see at the next meet. The pup’s an amazing singer. I’ve seen him go from Pawtera, to BLS, to Hatebreed, to Creed, to LoG in a set without missing a beat or a lyric. I’m glad that Rory strolled into his life in the nick of time.” The todd continued heavily. “He _needed_ something good back then because he didn’t _deserve_ all that happened to him before.”

Nick quietly set his phone down, obviously done with making the usual pizza order for the two and settled back into the couch.

“The food’s inbound, Carrots. You’re calling the shots on the movies tonight. Pick your poison.” He said with a smile.

Judy’s poor heart was a sinking and overdriven mess as she considered the bedraggled-looking fox. A soft chuckling brought her back to the present and she immediately smacked her nose, knowing that was twitching rapidly.

 _“Ooorrrr,_ pick something that we’ve already seen a million times and we can talk?” Nick suggested warmly.

“Dumb fox…” Judy muttered in embarrassment, her ears turning discreetly at a sound outside.

Interestingly enough, although he was distracted, Nick’s left ear also swiveled towards the front door. After a moment there was a very eager crescendo of knocks coming from the door and a muffled sound of happy giggling. Nick smiled a bit and got up to answer. Judy quickly picked up a movie case and followed closely enough to sit down at the kitchen island again to wait. On her way over, a glint caught her eye from the bedroom door. Squinting a little, she grew perturbed but was quickly drawn to the sound of joy-filled kits. As they were let inside, Judy noticed that it was Jacqueline Martin and her four kits. Judy had never been able to properly meet the other doe’s kits, but she had spoken to her once or twice in the past.

Once the door was shut and the small family was brought over to the opposite side of the bar, the outpouring from the four small bunnies was immediate. Their poor mother was trying to keep them quiet while coming around to sit next to Judy, though seemingly opposite of Nick. The plump gray and black doe looked a little nervous as Nick leaned forward against the bar to listen to everybody.

“I apologize, Nicholas. My kits heard an old fox tale and they wanted to ask for your help.” Jacqueline explained quietly.

The purest of smiles that Judy had ever seen graced Nick’s face. His lips were down to keep from showing his teeth around the nervous female rabbit.

“Yes! Mister Nick! We heard the tale of Robin Hood in school today!” The brown buck said with a smile.

“And, we have a mission for you, Mister Nick. That is, if you choose to accept it.” A bold doe stated loudly.

Nick seemed to grow a little sly by this news. He discretely shot a wink to the two older does in the room. “Well, now… Wait a second. Isn’t a little early to be approaching the Collective of the Hood when you all see that Officer Judy Hopps is here to help?” He said, throwing his arms out towards Judy as he fell into his element.

“Woah! Wait… What?!”

_“Judy Hopps?!”_

“Collective of the Hood?!”

“What’s that, Mister Nick?!”

The todd started laughing into his sleeve as the kits were torn between the Hero of Zootopia and a seemingly secretive group of foxes somehow related to Robin Hood. Once he recomposed himself and wiped a tear from his eye, he looked over at Judy.

“Carrots, these are Missus Martin’s kits. You’ve got Adam and Amy there, and then the twins Abby and Audrey.” Nick introduced them properly, pointing out the twin brown does that were sitting on the table because they were a tad bit shorter than the others. “The twins are the troublemakers, so keep an eye on them, and Adam’s outnumbered, and Amy’s the ringleader. Kits, this is Miss Judy. She’s my partner in the ZPD.”

Each kit made their own little faces at Nick, while Amy stuck her tongue out at the todd playfully, and Judy gave them all a polite wave with a warm smile. Not even Jacqueline could hold back a small laugh at the perfect descriptors for her babies.

“Is Miss Judy helping the Collective of the Hood? Is that why she can help us?” Amy questioned, again firm and wanting all the answers.

“No, dummy. You’re getting too far ahead of things. What is the Collective, Mister Nick?” Adam berated his sister.

 _Oh, Serendipity… He’s getting smug now. Look at his stupid face,_ Judy thought as she watched Nick begin to purposefully look thoughtful, rubbing the whiskers on his chin slowly.

“Weeeeell… It’s a secret…” He said in wonder, rolling his shoulders a bit in feigned discomfort. “If you told anybody, your mother would find out and she’d have to ground you from desserts. And, _who knows_ what will happen to lil’ ol’ me…”

The kits whispered furiously amongst each other. Judy could hear well enough that they were considering wanting to know and agreeing amongst each other not to tell anybody so that Mister Nick did not disappear or something. The gray doe discretely slicked her ears back while trying not to grin at them.

“We won’t tell anybody. We promise, Mr. Nick.” They all said in unison.

“Same goes for you two troublemakers.” Nick said, eyeballing the two older does in mock suspicion. Judy let out a guilty laugh into her paw.

“OK… I’ll give you the short version because it seems we are in a time crunch,” Nick said, standing up straight to pop his digits purposefully. “So, you all probably assumed that all red foxes are related to Robin Hood. He was an apostle of Karma herself, you understand. If you’re good and ask your mother nicely, I’ll regale you with the entire tale there… When Robin passed on, a small group of Reds came together to form the Collective. The idea was to have the Collective designate one Red as a new Robin Hood in every city or town where foxes resided. _All over the globe.”_

Nick left that hanging on the air while he took on a gallant stance and coughed softly into his paw, peering out through his eyelids discretely to take in the look of awe on all of the little bunnies faces. Their ears were stock straight in the air and their eyes were wide with wonder. Judy turned to hide her happy smile and noticed that even Jacqueline seemed somewhat enthralled by the story.

“I’m calling it now. Mister Nick is the Robin Hood of Zootopia.” Audrey said in awe, with Abby’s head eagerly nodding in agreement next to her twin sister.

The todd let off an impish laugh and shook his head. “Alas, the Red – standing before you – is not the Robin Hood of Zootopia. But, if you do your research, you’ll find that even in locations – with small numbers of red foxes – that there is never fewer than a solid dozen so that the Robin Hood of that location can’t be discovered easily. The Robin Hood of each city or town operates autonomously of the others, as well.

“So, to answer your question, Amy… I don’t know if she’s helping the Robin of Zootopia. But, if she is, I have an obligation to assist her because of her aid to the Collective. She can’t tell me directly, though. That means I absolutely will help four little bunnies in their masterful plans.” He said firmly, gesturing towards Judy as if she was the mayor herself.

“Well, we heard that you might have the skills needed to get our birthday cards into Miss Tracy’s apartment.” Amy whispered conspiratorially.

The groan that Jacqueline loosed brought a giggle to Judy’s lips because it sounded so bad and stereotypical. But Nick knew that the baby bunny was not implying anything about breaking and entering. They were too innocent for that. They thought there was something magical about the Red that helped him do all his good work in the city. And they looked _absolutely_ convinced that Nick was _the_ Robin of Zootopia.

“Well, Amy…” Nick began, clearing his throat before dropping his tone into the gravel. It made Judy groan quietly this time because she knew where he was going. _“I do have a very particular set of skills; skills that I have acquired over a very long career…_ But I think that it would be wise of Miss Judy helped you out with this.”

The bunny kits immediately zeroed in on the doe as she looked over at Nick. Judy found that he was looking at her with a smug grin on his lips and the joyful wonder in his eyes. It seemed as if the todd could read her next thoughts.

_You are soooo in trouble, Slick!_

_You are soooo cute when you’re flustered, Carrots…_ He seemed to counter.

“You see, the Collective leaves all Reds with tools that I think may benefit Miss Judy in her mission. Carrots, if you’d follow me. You kits, go surveil the hallway and make sure that it’s clear so that the mission can commence, please.” Nick said happily, walking over to the corner of the kitchen and opening a drawer.

Judy hopped down and followed him over as she heard scampering over to the front door. She reached the todd’s side to see him rummaging around in the drawer before pulling out a key and pawing it over to her.

“I owe you another one if you make this interesting. Your favorite ice cream parlor, I think, fits this request nicely. Take your time, though, please. I need to speak with Missus Martin.” Nick whispered so lowly that Judy was surprised that she even heard him.

Judy only nodded up at Nick before his gait took him back to the kitchen island and near to Jacqueline. The gray doe walked gracefully over to the door and met the eager kits in the hallway. They were looking around dedicatedly before noticing that Judy Hopps was standing behind them with an amused grin on her muzzle. They straightened up and saluted her quickly.

“Ok. You all must close your eyes and ears. The Collective has rules about how Robin Hoods work.” Judy said firmly, watching as the kits quickly complied.

She turned one ear back, hoping to catch anything that she could of Nick’s conversation, while fiddling with the key in her pocket. There were snippets here and there. She finally could not take it anymore and opened the door as quietly. Turning, she patted the kits heads so that they could head inside. There was a slight nagging in the back of her mind about the legality of heading into another mammal’s apartment like this, but it was quieted by Nick’s attempt to do something nice for them. She imagined that Tracy would not have a problem with it.

“Put them on that Tupperware there, OK. Quickly, before she gets back from work.” Judy spoke to the kits.

The little bunnies scampered inside while Judy looked back at Nick’s partially opened door. Her concern with growing by the second. It had to have been a serious issue, but not enough of the conversation could be heard. The kits hustled right back out of the apartment and Judy waited until they ran back into Nick’s apartment before Judy locked up the Tracy’s door. When she turned back, she saw the delivery guy coming down the hallway towards her. The doe polite smiled and waved at the teenage jaguar who had been delivering to the area.

“Heya, Lincoln. How are you?” She inquired.

“I’m dandy, Miss Hopps. Another movie night, I take it?” The jaguar mentioned, smiling kindly.

Judy took the boxes from the teen and nodded happily.

“Well, there you go. And, please, thank Mister Wilde for the tip. It helps a lot.” Lincoln said with a firm nod.

“I will. Thank you, Lincoln. Be safe out there!” Judy said as he turned and walked back down the hall.

Upon entering Nick’s apartment, Judy found the most adorable sight that she’d laid eyes on. All of Jacqueline’s kits were wrapped up in a big hug from the red fox. His ears were pinned back so sharply that the inky black tips were overlaid, and his eyes were shut tight, but there was a smile. She brought over the pizza and set it on the island counter quietly. A sudden chuckle brought Judy round quickly to find the group looking at her. Nick, grinning slyly, was staring at her with an extremely playful warmth.

“And now, Special Bunny Squad… There’s one more lesson from the Collective. That is to show your gratitude to those who work hard around you.” The todd whispered ominously, but purposefully loud enough for Judy to hear. “I have it on good authority that Miss Hopps _adores_ being glomped.”

“Nicholas!” She said loudly, just before being bombarded by those small bunny torpedoes that he was secretly orchestrating. _“Ack!”_

The gray doe could not help but join in with the writhing, giggling kerfluffle that had taken over. They tickled so badly, but also hugged Judy in all the intimate ways that she had missed being away from her family for such long stretches at a time. She could hear Nick and Jacqueline laughing heartily at her predicament. Judy eventually caught them all in her arms and gave them a big hug of gratitude before setting them down on the floor.

“Alright, kits. It looks like Mister Wilde and Miss Hopps were setting up dinner for the evening. We should let them get back to it.” Jacqueline finally said, standing up to ruffle the ears of two of her babies. “When we have some time, I’ll bring you back to hear more of the story.”

“Yay!” The kits all jumped around ecstatically.

“Now, thank Mister Wilde.”

“Thank you, Mister Nick! Thank you, Miss Judy!” They all said in unison. “Have a good night!”

“You’re more than welcome, little ones. You all have a good night.” Nick said politely.

Judy watched as the kits and their mother left, politely waving again, before the door closed. Nick picked up the movie case that Judy had decided on earlier, smiling a little before going over and putting it into the DVD player, and turning on the television. The doe quickly made up two plates for them before bringing it over to the couch. The todd took a seat nearby as the movie began to play; turning up the volume a smidge to listen in. The film was a fantasy piece full of magical things, rolling wildernesses, and it was also a romance of sorts.

“Lincoln wanted me to thank you for the tip.” Judy said softly, chewing on a piece of pizza.

“He’s a good kit. He’s going to go far in life.” Nick responded.

“That is true.”

They continued to eat their pizza, smiling at parts of the movie as it went on. Once they were finished, Nick policed up the plates and took them to the counter before coming back. He smiled a bit as he waited for her to speak.

“Just know that the jokes aren’t being turned off, Fluff.” Nick said.

The doe chuckled and rolled her eyes with a nod. Judy watched as Nick took a drink from his glass, slowly taking in the water as he watched the movie.

“Well, let me start by redeeming myself and stating for the record,” The todd began, watching the movie with mild interest as he munched on crickets lazily. “Grabbing a red fox’s ears isn’t a way to proposition him.”

Judy groaned in embarrassment as she nibbled on another carrot piece. “What’s it all about really then?” She asked.

“It’s something that isn’t usually seen until an adult had a mate. Same with the tail really. And, of course, with one’s parents during kithood. As you know, reds aren't terribly affectionate with anybody outside of those two circles.” Nick continued, tone level and just over the sound of the movie, as he leaned forward to lay the plate on the coffee table.

“You _have_ changed so much since I met you.” Judy commented fondly.

“Considering how much I hang around you, it could be said that I’m being assimilated…” Nick chuckled, receiving a gentle slap on the shoulder.

“And your conversation with Jacqueline?”

“Way simpler to understand. Tracy’s losing tenants. It’s bordering on being a problem to pay her own bills and to keep this place up to spec. Jacqueline is in the unfortunate position of being a single-mother whose kits are frightened by my circumstances; even though they know nothing of the source. She can’t afford anything better than this place… and, what’s lesser is a lot worse. The kits won’t be able to go to the same school.” The todd said as his paw clenched a bit around his leg. “That is an unacceptable possibility.”

Judy’s mind slowly churned through everything. Neither of the two took their eyes off the movie and sat in silence for several minutes while Nick allowed Judy to consider her next words. The doe could hear Nick’s tail brushing against the couch, but she could not see exactly what emotion was bringing the motion forth.

“So, what is your plan?”

“Tracy offered me a place, but I’d need to go in on it with someone. Depending on how much it is, maybe more than one.” Nick explained. “She tells me the place is just down the street; a bit closer to the Precinct even.”

“Finnick? Some of the guys?” Surprise tinted Judy’s tone without her asking it to.

“Nah. They’re hard-up in their own situations and scattered about through the city.” Nick said, shaking his head a bit. “Tracy mentioned asking you. But, it’s a consideration for another time.”

Judy gave Nick a quick side-eye as took another drink of water. The tone had been edged to a degree, but the way Nick’s ears were lowered outwardly – at a fraction of an inch – told her that they both knew that she was not done yet. The todd’s posture was stiff and the tip of his tail was barely moving. It was not a show of anger or defensive, by nature; it was more of a nervous understanding. The doe decided to take another path.

“What did you say to Tracy about that?” She asked.

And, as if watching two mammals fighting over the wheel of a moving vehicle, Nick pulled back a little with a smile. His ear flicked towards her.

“That there was a lot to take into consideration due to my status as _kandidaatti.”_ He said with a laugh. “It’s a rather illustrious title that others have bestowed upon me, Miss Hopps.”

Judy laughed with Nick, having learned a bit of the red fox’s Old-World language over the years. It had been a marvelous thing to learn that despite having never been to the Old-World continents, the foxes learned the tongues of their forefathers. Nick knew Vulpish, from his grandparents’ homeland, and Finnick knew French and Afrikaans from his parents, respectively. It was amazing to Judy that they were taught to return to their older culture like that. She didn’t ever remember knowing any rabbit, from the Burrows, who knew more than the local English.

“You assume way too much, Slick. I’m just hanging around to make sure that _that_ luxurious tail stays in the cruiser.” Judy whispered loudly, using her paw to emphasize the point.

“Ah! You just stay over there, Miss Grabby Paws. I can already hear the sound of pillaging _Jawas_ coming from that end of the couch. Being as short as you are, I suspect you’re related and all.” Nick commented as he grinned like a fool. “What would be the point anyway?”

The bunny doe curled up as she giggled inwardly, slowly losing control of being able to adequately breathe. “Because Corporal Judy Hopps… _always_ gets… her mammal!” She gasped out, finding her joke way funnier than it probably was. As cliche as it was.

The todd choked on some of his water as he began to laugh with her. Judy noticed that Nick looked extremely impressed despite his own lack of air. The movie was a little past half-over as Judy looked back up and waited. She was absolutely smirking.

“Geez, Carrots. I’m over here blushing like crazy. You know how to make a todd feel special.” Nick finally stated, wiping his face and shirt off slowly.

Judy finally let out a low sigh as she looked back over at Nick’s bedroom door. The earlier suspicions that she had were on the mark. There were two deadbolts over the door-handle. Unfortunately, having to look past Nick to confirm only caught his attention and that made the todd look over the opposite shoulder to look around. Just barely, she heard a sigh emanate from him, as well.

“Want some more pizza?” He asked, looking back at her.

Judy only shook her head in response.

Slowly, Nick rose off the couch and took his plate to get another. After rustling around in the kitchen, he brought back a couple of cans of their soda along with his original score. After sitting back down and taking a bite, Nick contemplated how to explain it while catching another scene.

“Early on, I didn’t know that I was having them. It took about a two-weeks before anybody stepped up to confront me about the noise…”

~~~~~~~~~

_“What the fuck are you talking about, Jason?” Nick asked loudly._

_“Wilde, if I have to tell you again to shut up, I’m going to punt you out that fucking window!” Jason shouted, pointing a hearty claw at Nick’s face._

_Nick balked, though his opposition had the wrong idea as of to why, before lowering his tone._

_“Jason… You just threatened a law enforcement officer. That’s serious. And, I don’t know what you’re talking about. And, that’s also serious,” The todd growled deeply. “But, if you come at me… I will hit you with this baton until you hit the floor. It will take about thirteen-minutes for the paramedics to hit the lobby. And, then, you’re going to jail.”_

_This time Nick flinched because the maned lion did take that step forward. Before the red fox could curl the business end of the baton back against his arm, he felt something relatively flexible smack into the back of his skull. He yipped angrily and raised his head to look around. He saw an angry gray blob of squirrel slamming a newspaper into the bridge of Jason’s nose._

_“You two, my office. Right now.” She said evenly._

_It took a few minutes to make it down the flights of stairs to the main office. None of them said a word until after the main door shut and Tracy spun around on them._

_“Mister Kynes, let me make this clear. The only mammal, in this building, that will go to jail for assault and battery is me. Do I make myself clear?” The squirrel said loudly. “There are rules in your lease agreements outlining conduct, but I shouldn’t need to remind you of that. Mister Wilde is a police officer and was not openly challenging you. He_ doesn’t _know.”_

_The lion huffed a bit before looking out resolutely. “Yes, Ma’am.”_

_“Now… Nick.”_

_What a wakeup call. That had the todd’s attention far quicker than anything the lion had said or the fact that the door had opened and closed behind them. The tone of the landlord’s voice told him that it was all true._

_“Nicholas.” Tracy said firmly._

_Everything stood up on his body, every little bit of fur, and it caused him to bare his fangs awkwardly. Embarrassment hit him like a truck. He hadn’t felt it this badly since the time Mister Big caught him on that damned rug. There was never even the illusion that there was a mask that Nicholas Wilde wore._

_“All of it? How long?” The todd questioned, his ears starting to ring badly. “What?”_

_Tracy jumped up and grabbed onto the fox’s snout to hug him very impolitely. The thing about being a landlord was that if you were going to be justifiably out-of-bounds, you better be so in all aspects. No mammal would be able to call you a hypocrite for covering some points and not others then._

_“Easy there, Nick. I’m not going to let anything happen. But, we have some things to talk about, OK?”_

~~~~~~~~~

“I went two different routes with the plan after Tracy moved me into this apartment the following weekend. I set up a camera in the bedroom and I installed locks on both sides of this door. I would record every other night or so and I did so for a couple of months early on – to confirm how bad it was and to watch for it to worsen. All the while, the door would be locked from the inside so that nobody could barge in, and attempt to wake me up. Those are just a safety precaution.”

Nick finished his recollection just as the film started to roll credits. After looking around, he presented Judy with two choices for the next film, one seen and one unseen thus far. The doe pointed at the one that they had seen; not quite done with her inquiries and wanting extra time in case more was thought of. While Nick set everything up, Judy placed her soda can down on the counter.

“And, what about the locks on this side then?” She commented.

“That should be obvious. I have this gray CBASS that homes-in on me and it was obvious that she would show up. Those are for your protection at your discretion.” Nick said firmly, hitting play with the remote. “I’d make rules, but I know you well enough to know that you’d ignore them. So, there’s a broom there for when you decide to wake me up. That’s the only rule to it. Keep your distance. And, don’t be afraid to leave if it becomes unbearable.”

“Well, you’re right about one thing, Slick.” Judy said confidently as her eyes tracked over to the todd. He looked back at her contemplatively. “I don’t know when to back down.”

“Just do me a favor. Don’t run me through with that broom when you poke me, Carrots.” Nick said, the following chuckle was shallow and low. “You’re mean with those paws as it is, y’know.”

The laugh, that she had, broke the stillness of the room.

“Don’t worry, Slick. I won’t take one of those fluffy Doritos off your head while I’m practicing my kung-fu bunny, martial arts skills.” She said before throwing a bag of his gummies at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/Ns Feb21 - The Jawas reference went sorely underappreciated, in my opinion.
> 
> So, we got to see a whole lot of character evolution and introductions here. After two-years, there are mammals that each of them will have gotten to know really well, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that we see Judy grow firmer in resoluteness and Nick become more open to others over time. That's just a natural progression of development that happens in life, after all.
> 
> Some points-of-clarity:  
> Lots of movie references of course, though it should be obvious on what's what there.  
> Vulpish = Finnish, though that might've been obvious. The word that Nick used was "candidate" in reference to being a bachelor.  
> The song is "My Own Prison" by Creed.  
> CBASS: A MK.48 Mod. 7 ([Advanced Capability] Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System) torpedo. Arguably one of the most advanced counter-DDNPS torpedoes in the world and currently in use with the United States Navy.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it. More to come.


	4. Comprehension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Chapter 4. Here it is. It's a little behind schedule, but I've been busy picking up some new skills and it is the holiday season here. Happy Thanksgiving to all you fellow Americans, and a happy holidays to everyone else if you're celebrating. I have upgraded the tags and rating to reflect the work better, and I will warn you now that there is a bit of sexually explicit material in this chapter. There will likely be more of that as is the fact that this is a romance piece -- to a degree. This is also, I believe, the longest chapter that I've written thus far.
> 
> Also, as I don't think that I've mentioned it before, the perspective will switch back and forth, and it will be pretty obvious who the "camera" is following. There may be perspective switches within the chapter for relevance's sake and those will be obvious. There will be a couple of more chapters to cover the weekend before moving on.

After a couple of new titles, Nick had decided that he was too exhausted to stand being up anymore. Unfortunately, that meant that the fuzzy side that she had been laying against got up off the couch unceremoniously and spilled her into the warm void where the todd had been sitting. He had laughed at her when she blew a raspberry at him. After Nick cleaned up, he took his prescription and gave Judy everything she needed for the night.

That had been nearly three-hours before. The room was dark: only illuminated by the light of the doe’s tablet as she typed out her research questions into multiple tabs. Judy let out a little giggle at the thought of being sly. She had chosen not to utilize the todd’s router for her searches and possibly be discovered on a search history profile for the unit.

 _We’re so clever. Muhaha!_ The inner Rebel laughed internally.

 _Sometimes you must outfox everybody, and I learned from the best,_ Judy thought.

 _And using the fundamentals to snoop on Nick, no less…_ Her appropriate-side noted with an inward giggle of her own. _And what-even is the point, little Miss Hopps?_

The doe frowned a bit as she corrected a mistake in her search bar, quietly berating herself but not being able to see the fault in the thought-process either. There was an undeniable amount of affection felt for Nick that Judy had not experienced for any other mammal that she had encountered before. That certainly set a precedence for doing all this research. The web yielded a plethora of information, both relevant and inadvertently convenient to know, and that brightened her mood considerably.

A list of questions became a highly-detailed list of multi-tiered answers, in her phone’s notes, as she began filling in the gaps. Some things were not as easily answered. Foxes were known to be secretive mammals; so, the concepts on relationships and familial groups were categorically filed into the group of asked-and-answered by outlying species. It was all speculation. There was, on the other paw, a trove of information on red fox heritage in northeastern Europe and Japan.

Additionally, there was a ton of culinary information to draw from. Judy already knew that Nick was a good cook, but now it was up in the air on if that was entirely from his days on the streets or not. There was quite a lot on cooking fish and a lot of medically relevant files on why. A fox’s eyes were as important to them as a rabbit’s ears, respectively. But, that was something the doe already knew. Nick never hid the fact that he had to eat fish, but he never seemed to take much enjoyment in it. It was as if he was being far to cordial about it.

 _Make him some fish then and watch his brain explode!_ The Rebel bantered on. _Watch him keep a stoic demeanor after that!_

That… was not something that would be undertaken on short notice. Judy knew she would have to learn how to cook fish before anything and that would have to be done at home in Bunnyburrow. It would be hard to test without a test subject, but following the instructions close enough would help. She did not have anybody in the city she was willing to try it with considering that it would be assumed something was going on between the two.

Pushing aside that set of considerations, Judy switched back to one of the culture tabs and started looking through the cultural tabs for information on holidays. Unfortunately, that was also a dead-end. That would be something that she could talk with Nick about later. If she asked about the entirety of the secrecy, Judy imagined that the todd was quickly figure out that she had been studying.

_That would be extremely embarrassing…_

_Or, you can be straight-up with him. With everything he’s told you… Everything that he will tell you soon most likely,_ the Angel replied.

The giggle of embarrassment was quiet in the din as the doe rolled her eyes. Of course, that was the proper, logical thing to do. The other option was that the todd figured it out himself, being extremely smart, when she started asking questions. After that things were up in the air. There were probably as many species-specific technicalities for red foxes as there were for any other species on the planet. The thing about it was that she was well beyond worrying about their friendship. That was as solid as the terra-firma beneath their paws. The duo had been through so much since Nick had made the force… And, now, Judy Hopps was considering more.

Judy tried to take on the familial questions from another perspective. She decided to look at red fox forums for expecting mothers. She was hoping to learn more about why Nick’s mother had only one kit in her litter. The only thing that she discovered was that a modern average litter size was three to four, and that two wasn’t odd, but more than five was. There were notes that indicated that the litter size had shrunken over the last couple-hundred years. Aside from that, there was nothing about abnormally _small_ litters.

The stillness of the apartment was broken by the sound of whining coming from Nick’s room. The suddenness of the foreign sound caused her ears to go on the alert, swiveling quickly to her left as she tossed the pad away from her.

“No!” She whispered urgently.

Her paws carried her over to the door and opened it quickly. The broomstick was ignored as she entered the gently lighted room. Nick had mentioned putting in nightlights so that, if she needed to enter, she wouldn’t be entirely blind moving around. It did not entirely help considering that she had been using her tablet in the pitch dark of the living room all night. Once Judy’s eyes adjusted, she could see the todd’s struggling form in the bed. Again, her paws led it forward until she climbed into the bed with him.

“Nick. I’m right here.” The doe said kindly, crawling up near his head. It still the whines and growls for a moment.

Nick’s nose twitched in earnest, seeking out the new scent on the environment around him. Judy reached out with a paw to brush the bridge of his nose carefully, letting the subconscious know how close she was to him. At the touch, his whines picked up in a higher tone of distress. Moving behind Nick’s head, Judy continues running her paws over his forehead before transitioning to his ears. A wordless song bubbles up from her throat as she begins to hum. The todd quieted for a bit while she gave him a needed form of distraction. Unfortunately, it did not last but five-minutes before that deep growl emanated from Nick’s chest again.

“Nick,” Judy leaned into to whisper in his ear. “It’s Judy. I’m right here.”

There was a sharp whine that followed. A sad smile creased her lips as she carefully wrapped his neck in her arms and she gently pulled his head into her lap. She was not worried about Nick biting her due to his interest in the doe’s scent. The sudden addition of it in his subconscious was probably causing him to search her out. So, Judy continued brushing his ears and whispering comforting words. Nick’s warmth steadily seeped into her lap and stomach while her lips brushed the fur on the back of his ear with every word spoken and Judy felt him still against her frame.

For a moment, at least. His body went rigid after a deep breath.

“Judy!” Nick’s voice coughed out before his eyes shot open.

The doe held his head close to her, continuing to whisper in Nick’s ear until she noticed that his eyes were darting around the room. The scent of violets had permeated the sheets and her clothes due to the nervous perspiration that he was giving off.

“Carrots! Dammit!” Nick whispered hoarsely.

“I didn’t even need the broom, dumb fox.” She replied softly, unaware that she was still petting his head to keep him calm.

“I can see that…” He said tersely. “Are you alright? What happened? Why did you come in here?”

He began scenting the room erratically to make sure that the inking of blood in his mind was not actually in the room with them. The ear that Judy was whispering near kept getting caught in his ear movements at the same time.

“You started having the nightmare. I didn’t mean to wake you, but I wasn’t going to sit by. And, everything’s fine…” Her voice was so soft. “Nick?”

“Yeah?”

“We’re going to go to that place. You and me. OK?” She said seriously.

“That was for a conversation for later.” He muttered dryly.

Judy watched as Nick’s tail flickered underneath the sheet. It was the first that she noticed Nick’s shirtless torso which stirred a gentle blush. The todd blew out a gentle sigh as he closed his eyes again.

“I’m not going to let you wait that long. We’ll do it today. I’ll help you move.” There was a kindness in her the words that she spoke. She was entirely serious about this.

She felt Nick’s lips curl into a gentle smile as he scoffed. “Geez… You’re going to make me work on my day off? That’s just cruel, Carrots.” He said.

Judy continued to brush the fur over the top of his head and ears until the todd had completely calmed down. His heart-rate back to a slow thrum in her ears. It seemed as if Nick was too tired to attempt to physically distance himself to a proper level, but she still did not want him to feel uncomfortable about the situation that she was putting him in.

“Do you need anything, Nick?” Judy asked finally. “And, where’s your pillow?”

There was another, larger huff of air expelled from the todd as his eyes opened again. Judy thought that he might have been trying to control the constriction in his eyes. It was obvious that he would awaken that way considering the stress put on his mind during sleep.

“I shred them when I’m asleep. I only afford myself so many a month now.” Nick sighed. “I don’t need anything... _You_ are going to need a deep fur cleansing to get the smell out, though.”

Judy could not help but laugh a bit at that, leaning against the headboard and gently tugging on the fox’s neck to urge him back against her. Making no reply, she heard Nick chuckle but also follow her invitation.

“Your parents are going to be pissed if they come to find you’re using my delicious foxy musk to ward away potential suitors.” He said sagely. “Mama Hopps will put a whoopin’ on you.”

“Maybe there’s a secondary point of having them mind their own business, hm? Serendipity knows that I love them, but if they try to set me up with one more buck-toothed farmer, I’m going to have some choice words for them.” Judy replied seriously, still laughing regardless.

“I’m literally going to hedge my bets there.” He replied.

Judy grew a little nervous as she watched Nick begin to curl up around himself. A nagging question that she had sit on the tip of her tongue.

“What did you see, Slick?” She finally uttered.

“Just smoke and the sounds. Didn’t see a thing…” Nick said tentatively.

The doe quietly wiggled around until she was behind Nick’s head and laid down to wrap him up.

“What are you doing, Fluff? You have to go to sleep.” Nick wondered aloud.

“I am, right here. Get some more rest, Nick. I’ll keep you safe.” She replied, resuming her efforts of petting his ears softly.

“Judy…” He whispered, obviously starting to succumb again.

“Do you trust me, Nick?”

The todd turned his head back enough to look at her with an eye before whispering back.

“With every thread of my soul, Fluff.” He said, the reverence in his tone causing her to hug his neck tightly against her body.

Moments later, Nick was fast asleep again. It took Judy another hour, finally feeling comfortable that he was not about to slip back into the dreamscape that haunted him, and she also fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~

The sun filtered into the room as time slipped by the city. Eventually making its way to a section of the blinds that dulled the rays against the doe’s face. Judy’s face scrunched up as her brain began to boot-up for the day. It was noted that it was roughly mid-morning and that it was very warm in the room. After a moment, her ears perked up to gain more information about the room around her while her violet eyes readied themselves to open. Before she could, her mouth opened with a very unladylike lawn and her paws stretched out to loosen the tightened muscles in her shoulders and back.

The room looked as warm as it felt when she finally opened her eyes and she felt as if she was surrounded in the soft, rumbly substance that was Nick Wilde. Taking in her surroundings better, she found that Nick had turned and curled around her at some point. There was no helping the intense blush that overtook her face and ears as she watched the todd’s face. He had somehow managed to scoot his shoulder underneath the doe without waking her up. His tail had curled up tight so that it laid over her form and kept her from getting a chill.

 _Oh… We are so in trouble…_ the voice of her Optimism sighed internally.

 _A foxy heaven indeed,_ the lusty Rebel agreed.

Judy’s brow rose in quiet agreement regardless of the burning sensation in her cheeks. It was an undeniable fact that the todd’s endearing nature tended to rev her engine. Carefully, she slipped her phone out of the pocket on her shorts and noted that it was nearly 8-o’clock in the morning. It was the perfect time to get to work on moving Nick out of the apartment complex. But, the todd’s sunlit face had her distracted.

_Serendipity, he’s gorgeous._

And, before Judy knew it, her paw was slowly reaching over to feel the warm breathes that were being purred out from pointy snout. She gently reached his muzzle and began running her furred paw over him: smoothing out the errant tufts of fur as her paw made it to his brows and over his pinned ears. The purring ratcheted up a notch at the attention and it brought a smile to Judy’s face. It sent her heart soaring to know that he would not wake up from the nightmare this morning. Judy really did not want him to wake up yet. But, the thought whisked-away like smoke as Nick’s eyes popped open: despite the seemingly harsh light. The suddenness of his awakening halted the content purring. His eyes were slitted as they looked around at his surroundings.

“Good morning, Slick.” She said softly.

“Fluff,” The todd said, uncurling a bit to look at her properly. “How’d you get in there?”

Judy could not help but giggle before eagerly digging her paws into his side, ruffling the coat of orange fur ecstatically.

“I helped you get back to sleep. Then, I guess, I fell asleep and got caught. You’re like an electric blanket. And, you rumble!” The doe laughed.

Nick began to grumble as he reached out and ruffled her ears firmly, causing her to squeak embarrassingly. “Foxes purr on occasion, dumb bunny.” He said with a gentle smile.

“You’ve never done that around me before, though.” Judy commented, watching at the todd looked away. His ears growing a little red before he could hide it from her. He offered no explanation.

Carefully, the todd uncurled himself and stretched out from underneath the sheet to stretch out his aching back. Judy couldn’t help but stare at Nick’s rolling form. Her own blush did indeed intensify. He was wearing shorts, and boxers from the edges that peeked out from them, but his torso was uncovered. Some of his fur was matted and some of it was stuck out at various angles. The doe probably would have laughed if it hadn’t been so intimate to see firsthand. Nick hopped out of bed and walked over to grab a black t-shirt off the nearby chair.

“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you while you were wrapped up, did I?” He asked, pulling the shirt over himself before turning around to face her.

Judy looked down at herself and gave herself a pat down. Nothing was sore or stung at the touch, so she knew that Nick had not managed to inadvertently hurt her.

“I’m all good, Nick.” Judy said with a bright smile. “Go get cleaned up. We have to talk to Tracy this morning.”

Nick chuffed at the thought. “She’ll be by shortly, I imagine. Are you sure you don’t want the bathroom first, though?” He inquired.

“Go ahead, Slick. I’ll take a shower after you… if that’s alright.” She responded.

Nick nodded once and grabbed up a pair of jeans before trekking to the bathroom to take care of his morning routine. Judy quickly hopped out of the bed once she heard the bathroom door close, turning into a gray tornado as she collected up her things and readied her daywear, and bathroom bag. Once she was done, she hustled over to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast. Whipping up enough of an egg and cheese omelet for them both, she still heard the shower running and then a swift knocking on the door. Judy chuckled, knowing that it was Tracy outside. Running over to the door, she unlocked and opened it.

“Judy!” The squirrel said happily. “Good morning! It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you, as well, Tracy. Come on. Nick’s in the shower right now. Come sit down and I’ll make you some food.” The doe replied.

The squirrel shot out and hopped up on the island counter like normal. Once she was comfortably sitting, cross-legged, she began eyeing Judy with a distinctly focused gaze. After a moment, the smaller mammal broke out in a chittering fit of laughter.

“Y’know, Nick’s always harping on me for ‘getting squirrelly’, but it smells like you are getting neck deep in that foxy goodness.” Tracy finally stated bluntly.

Doing her best to combat the mistake of falling into the trap, Judy busied herself with another omelet for the landlord. It was a trick that Nick had inadvertently been teaching her because, on occasion, she could be so gullible. If you learn from the sly fox, you will be able to tighten down on those mannerisms.

“I was helping Nick with his new medication. I ended up fall asleep while warding the nightmares away.” Judy admitted shortly, carrying the plate of food over to Tracy.

Not one to be deterred, Tracy grinned innocently. “Like… bow chicka help, _Chica?_ Because that usually _does_ do the trick with a lot of males.” She said with a giggle.

Judy blushed as she began to eat her own portion, shaking her head as her ears tucked against the back of her head. Given the situation, Judy could not help but feel a little annoyed by the suggestive notion. However, the doe made sure to be kind about refuting.

“You should know better than that after making _that_ offer to Nick. Besides, it’s not like that.” Judy said firmly.

“Judy,” Tracy said firmly, causing the doe to look up from her plate. “I’m rooting for you, girl. I might joke around as much as Nick, but I’m _rooting for you._ And, don’t try to play dumb. Just because Nick’s blind, or uncertain about moving forward, doesn’t mean that every other mammal around you both is.”

“I don’t even know if he’s interested… If he was, I think he have made a move already.” Judy muttered.

That brought on another bout of humor-filled laughter from the squirrel, making Judy feel a little indignant about it.

“Sweetheart, here’s a clue.” Tracy finally whispered, looking over her shoulder to make sure the shower was still running. “Todds don’t make the first move in fox relationships. The biological chivalry, if you will, is strong with them. And, I can tell you that if you slept where I think you slept, he’s interested. Foxes are fiercely territorial of their immediate den space. You didn’t get kicked out of his home completely, _soooo…”_

The newfound information startled Judy as badly as hearing the shower shut off in the other room. Tracy was trying to act as innocent as she could while eating her meal quietly. The diminutive squirrel knew that the bunny doe was probably having trouble figuring red fox culture points out and she was not above lending a paw.

“That being said… I wanted to talk to you,” Judy said, finally managing to change the subject. “I want to know if we can get Nick moved into that house you spoke about today. I want him in a safe place while we work through these issues. And, I’ll be joining him on the lease.”

Judy was surprised to find that Tracy stood up with a smile on her face. The smaller mammal came over to her and gave the taller rabbit a hug. Once she was done conveying her sentiments to Judy, Tracy took a key out of her pocket and passed it over.

“Take care of him, Judy. And, chase him until you grab that foxy tail. Karma knows, if I were bigger, I would.” She giggled lasciviously, causing Judy to guffaw at the bluntness. “You two get moved in, finalize everything on your end and then come see me. The cost will be two-thousand a month and I’ll have the paperwork drawn up by the time I see you again. I know it sounds low, but once I get more tenants in here, it’ll be alright. Utilities covered. The lights, water, internet, and trash are already set.”

“Thank you, Tracy. And, happy birthday, by the way.” Judy replied softly.

“Thank you. And, thanks for the cake. I loved Nick’s dorky card. Let him know I said so. I’ve got to split for now.” Tracy said, patting the doe’s paw before hopping off the counter and exiting the apartment in a rush. Judy noticed that she was smiling the whole time.

Judy quickly hopped out of her seat and ran over to the bathroom door, using her paw to eagerly bang on it while her ears were held high in happiness.

“Nick! Your food is getting cold and I have news!” She said loudly.

The todd laughed from inside the bathroom. “Geez, Carrots. Don’t get your ears in a knot. Let me put some pants on, at least.” He replied.

Spinning on her paw, Judy blushed again and headed back to the kitchen; remembering that she had not set the coffeemaker up so that Nick would have something with his breakfast. It was not quite done before Nick stepped out of the bathroom in his black shirt and faded jeans. He looked surprised to find that there was in fact breakfast waiting for him on the table. Quietly, he took a seat and began eating while Judy readied a cup of coffee and brought it to him.

“You didn’t have to make me anything, Judy. Thank you.” He said before taking a sip, looking at her over the rim of the mug.

“Of course, I would make you food while feeding myself, dumb fox. Thanks for letting me steal your food.” Judy deflected, giggling happily. “Now! I have news! You missed Tracy, but everything’s set!”

The todd blinked a couple of times in confusion before continuing to eat; clearly waiting for Judy to continue her giddy explanation.

“We have that place that you told me about. The rent’s two-thousand a month. She wants us to get sorted out in it before coming and seeing her for the paperwork.” Judy explained, pulling the key out and passing it to him tentatively.

Nick took the key and rolled it over in his paw. There was a definite look of surprise on his face and his ears flicked a little in his uncertainty. Nick’s tail seemed to like the idea, at least from what Judy could tell. It was swaying in a higher rate-of-speed than usual.

“And, she said to say that she loved your dorky card. I don’t know if she got into the cake yet.” Judy continued, trying to break the todd out from his mental considerations.

Sure enough, up came those emerald eyes. The suddenness of it caught Judy off-guard. If there was ever a body of water that she could fall into, it was those eyes. And, it was a long fall. A split of a second later, Nick took another sip of his coffee.

“You’re serious about this, huh?” He finally asked.

“Of course, I am, Slick. The new place that I’ve been in isn’t much better than the shoebox that I started out in. And, I want to help you out. There’s no better way than to go halves on this place.” Judy said adamantly. The todd was about to open his maw to say something, but the doe read his thoughts. “Don’t even think about saying you’ll take care of it. You said you couldn’t on your own.”

Nick’s maw snapped shut at that, rolling his shoulders as he considered the key again. One full second later, the key was on the counter and he drained the contents of his coffee mug. Judy watched every movement until he finally nodded his head once.

“Alright, Fluff. If you’re sure.”

“I am. I’ll certainly be closer to the Precinct now and we’ll always have each other’s backs, this way.” She replied with a firm nod, trying to hide her tail’s excited wiggling.

“Go take a shower. I’ll have another cup of coffee and get some boxes loaded up.” Nick told her softly.

She nodded again and quietly left the todd to his coffee. After collecting up her items, she went into the bathroom. Quickly, she undressed and got into the stream of water coming from the showerhead. The feeling of the hot water drained her of an underlying layer of tension, though she was still worried.

 _It’s not like Nick to just give in so easily to things,_ the Concern whispered.

Hope chimed in with a placation. _He’s simply come to terms that we’re in it together. Nick believes that we will always be there and is willing to take to the next level of trust._

Judy hummed in agreement while listening in, gently beginning to rub soap into her fur to clean off the sweat from being so warm earlier in bed.

 _There is the idea that he might be interested… As Tracy said. Now, he’ll have a dedicated den and be sharing it with us,_ Hope continued in a giddy manner.

Her paws roamed down her legs and worked the soap deep. It helped ease a dull ache in her tendons while thinking about what to do with Nick. The doe had been in a couple of dates in high-school, but always because a buck had asked her. Never had she been interested in a mammal, and not one that had specific traditions dictating conduct between the sexes.

 _But, who knows? If he’s interested, then maybe he’s doing as much research as I am,_ Judy thought more to herself than any of the Council.

 _You’re assuming he would be able to overcome his biological nature to let you decide…_ Concern muted her idea.

Judy’s mind wandered to visuals of the russet todd after he got out of bed and her body slowly started humming underneath her paws. The doe gently leaned back against the cool tile wall and an errant paw gently found that slick flower between her thighs. Desire and frustration began mixing – stemming from how long it had been since she last was able to take care of herself – as the free paw found her breast and began kneading in tempo with upward hooking against her clitoris.

 _I ran headlong into those two cases, so why am I hesitating now?!_ She admonished herself.

With a careful manipulation, Judy raised a hindpaw against the opposite wall while exposing her clit to the warmth of the shower. Once she was anchored again, the frustration took a heavier roll in the ministrations to her body. The wave was about to crest already which caused her to drive for it harder. Judy fell deeper into the daydream as the pressure against her back felt more like the heavier body of the todd himself.

“Oh, Nick…” She whispered urgently.

The pain from biting her lip, so as not to cry out, was ignored as her free paw shot down to switch against her clit while the original troublemaking paw urgently dipped two-digits inside. The resulting and sudden penetration caused the wave to break and her mind to flash behind closed eyelids. The rouge paw decided that it was not enough yet and continued to stretch her until a second orgasm crashed through Judy’s mind. Her other paw was gently and slowly circling her clitoris against the drumbeat of the water. It was reassuring. That feeling caused her to swear, by all of Serendipity’s grace, that Nick was tenderly taking her – as his doe – while gently cooing his love for her in her ear.

Finally, Judy managed to gasp out her held breath. She slowly continued to work on her soft lips while coming down from the orgasmic high until it completely faded. Sitting down on the ledge of the tub, she began to soap herself down again to wash away as much of the pheromone trace as she could. After he was done, she shut off the water and proceeded to dry off before dressing. Judy opened the door, once she was decent, to drain the steam from the confinement of the room and began packing up all the bathroom amenities that Nick had.

“Geez, Fluff. It looks like you’re about to make some grand entrance on a rabbit wrestling stage with all of that steam.” Nick called at her.

Still somewhat breathless, Judy simply smiled instead of offering an immediate verbal reply: running her paws back to brush her ears aside. Her poor ears had not done a thing to expend energy but seemed so exhausted in their own way. Only once she was fully collected did she speak.

“You’re one to talk, Slick! You always look like you’d been in a sauna!”

A barked laugh came from outside. “Well, foxes were made by the devil, so we have to abide by the rule of making it seem like Hell follows with us everywhere we go.” He joked back.

The doe rolled her eyes and carried all the bathroom goods out to the kitchen. Because the apartment had come fully furnished, Nick only had so much to move. It actually seemed to Judy that the todd’s musical interests took up the most space. That being his guitars and record collection. Eventually, they took the first sets of boxes downstairs and Nick asked her to watch his old square-body pickup while he unloaded the apartment. With a calm smile, he informed her that she would not be allowed to assist in unloading the apartment.

Once the todd was finished loading the truck, they both loaded up and headed down the street until they reached a two-story house with a small driveway leading back to a garage behind the residence. After parking the vehicle, they got out and gave the outside a once-over. Nick seemed satisfied despite not saying anything for a few moments.

“Alright, Fluff. Do the honors.” The todd finally commented.

Judy could not hold back a grin as she bounced up to the back door and opened it quickly. She proceeded inside while Nick ambled in behind her. The downstairs contained a kitchen and washroom in the back, a living room in the front with the downstairs office adjacent. There was also a full bathroom next to the office. The stairwell led up to the two proper bedrooms with another full bathroom between them. Off of the front, there was a deck so that one could sit outside and watch the sunset in the evenings.

She could not help but bounce around the house eagerly to take in all of the sites within. Judy finally found the fox staring at her with a gentle smile on his face. He had his thumbs hooked in his pockets while he leaned back against the wall.

“Go ahead and pick out your room. If you feel like you want a little more space, I’ll rotate the other room’s furniture with the office and take the downstairs.” Nick suggested gently, raising a paw towards the rooms.

Judy’s smile faltered a little and she blinked while processing the statement. There was no reason for such measures, but she could see where the offer would be polite.

“Why would we go through all that trouble, Nick?” Judy asked.

“Well… There might be some secret Hopps Family nudism provision… and, I don’t want to have you forget about cohabitating one night and get startled when I go down in the middle of the night to get a sandwich during a bathroom trip.” Nick chuckled, seeming to have felt a little awkward in the moment. Thus, he defaulted to humor.

“Oh!” Judy exclaimed, turning up the humor herself. “That’s only allowed at the Burrow.”

The look on Nick’s face was priceless as he balked. Judy kicked herself mentally for not having her phone ready to take a picture. _Hook, line, and sinker,_ the doe thought was a laugh.

“I’m kidding, dumb fox.” Judy said after a moment, spinning around to take a look into the front room of the floor.

That room was a little big for how few items that she had, even now after two-years of being in the city, but it was going to see the most sun during the early morning. Foxes, and especially Nick, held a high desire for darker rooms in that morning light. There was one less window in the room past the bathroom, so she decided.

“I’ll take this one so that you don’t get overwhelmed by the sun, if that’s alright?” She asked politely.

He nodded. “Of course. Whatever you fancy. Let me check the room in the back and I’ll consider what I need for guitar space. If worst comes to worst, I’ll ask for a wall in the office downstairs to hang them.” Nick explained.

Judy’s emotional response was instantaneous at that. The doe shook her head and walked over to Nick, taking his paw firmly in hers, she led him back downstairs and into the living room.

“No, Nick,” She said with a huff. “I want you to hang them in here, like you did in the apartment. You’re not going to _store_ them. You’re going to _display_ them in a fashion where you can quickly access them for use.”

Nick looked around, taking in the fact there seemed to be enough room on the walls around in the room for them all. There would not be much space after the fact. They would fill in the remaining space around the furnishings. Judy’s eyes roamed over the russet todd as he looked around. His paws were sunk in the pockets of his jeans while the white tip of his tail flicked back and forth wearily.

“It’s where they belong, Nick.” Judy said, her tone softening considerable.

The todd turned around sharply, looking at Judy with the softest of smiles on his lips. He gave a polite nod of affirmation and quietly walked out towards the backdoor. Judy quietly followed and watched as Nick made it to the truck to begin unloading the boxes onto the pavement. The Council, in her head, began making a bit of a ruckus.

 _You all are so unruly today…_ Judy thought openly. She was still content with watching Nick through the window as he carefully pulled his guitars out of the back of the pickup’s cab, two-by-two. 

_He’s probably a little overwhelmed,_ Concern voiced.

 _And, yet… he’s so stoic and seems to be adapting quickly to all of this,_ Hope mentioned.

 _It’s so carrot-pickin’ hot…_ The Rebel commented bluntly.

Before that discussion could proceed any further, and with her earlier event pestering the back of the mind, Judy darted out of the kitchen to help the todd properly. Hopping off the porch, Judy approached the truck and took up a couple of boxes to bring them in. Nick had a couple of his guitar cases in paw and followed her in. They quietly shuttled everything into the living room at his behest.

Nick pulled his keys out of pocket and spun them around on a digit. “C’mon, Fluff. It’s your turn,” He pointed out. “You take care of the landlord and any paperwork, and I’ll get you packed up.”

Judy’s ears perked up and a shy smile appeared. The todd was regarding her carefully, his own ears were set forward and that fluffy tail had slowed its “gait” in anticipation of her response.

“And, I promise, I’ll avoid looking through your lacy bits.” Nick said with a polite grin.

The doe laughed in her embarrassment, knowing that she had several nice pieces that would have made her redder than a tomato if Nick had seen them. He was amusing her, but he was also serious. He would not go snooping about and probably would not handle anything even with permission.

“Of course. Let’s go.” Judy said with a proper smile, diverting her eyes a little at the thought.

The drive to her apartment was a way’s past where Nick had been residing, so the trip took several more minutes. Once they were there, they piled out of the square-body. Judy passed the keys off to Nick and headed for the landlord’s office while Nick went to gather her things into the moving totes that were in the closet of her apartment.

After collecting the difference and the security deposit, the landlady said that she would check the apartment over later on in the day and call the doe. She was not worried about the condition due to who the tenant was and felt comfortable with writing the check. With the finalization of the paperwork complete, Judy walked the stairs up to her apartment and found Nick quietly packing. He had actually managed to do most of the work while she was away.

“I hope you don’t mind, I assumed that the sexy stuff was in the drawers, so I packed the closet already.” Nick explained.

Judy stepped inside with a giggle. “Well, you assumed correctly. And, thank you for the closet.” She said.

“I could… step out if you want to exfiltrate those delicate bits and any other paraphernalia that you have hidden in there.” Nick said with a cheeky grin.

“And, what else would be in there aside from my undergarments, Mister Wilde?” Judy asked firmly, a smile playing on her own lips.

Nick quickly picked up a couple of lighter totes with a chuckle.

“I make no further attempt to sink into the mud there.” He said before whisking the totes out of the apartment. He could not resist shooting a wink her way despite himself.

Judy let her laugh follow that fluffy tail out through the doorway before turning to knock out the packing of the dresser. Like Nick’s, her apartment was already furnished, so it was a simple thing to pack her property up and leave. After she was done and had put all of the totes near the door, Judy collected a broom and quickly swept up. Once Nick had returned, the remaining containers were carried out to the truck.

“Everything went alright, I take it.” Nick commented, resting an elbow on the door to prop up his head.

Judy looked over and nodded as Nick regarded her. It was well after noon and Nick already seemed worn out. The dishevelment could be attributed to all of the lifting that the todd had done. But, he seemed in need of more sleep.

“It did, Nick. Thank you.” She said softly. “Are you alright, though?”

The russet-furred todd nodded with a light smile creased on his lips, watching as the pedestrians crossed in the walk before them. The sun was high: probably putting the time around 2:00 P.M., if she had to guess. So, Judy watched as Nick took in his surroundings. It was a fact that he never really had the opportunity to drive while on patrol due to her seniority, so it was rare for her to see this side of his surveillance of others.

Nick was set in a loose posture in his seat, ears forward and tail gently flicking against the shifter, and his eyes were what was set in the alert posture. Those emerald eyes darted between each sidewalk and out three or four car-lengths to watch the cars. It was not just because he did not want to hit anything. Nick’s constricted pupils told Judy that he was actively searching for threats. Judy left it alone and continued to observe the behavior. The todd was turning out to be a shoo-in for driving their patrol vehicle.

He pulled the truck into the drive after the last mile. The keys gently tinkled against his claws before he turned them back and withdrew them from the ignition. Popping the door handle, he stepped out slowly before gently shutting it again. Judy stepped out while watching Nick look down the driveway and up into the yard.

“I need a minute, Carrots.” He said, taking off towards the back of the yard.

Judy hopped out of the truck and slowly followed him across until she found herself sitting on a swing set that was there. Nick stood out beyond the set and turned around with his eyes closed. The backyard was full of tended flowers and pruned trees along the edges of the fence and within the yard. Nick stood near a vented burn barrel near the fence and he seemed to be taking in all of the scents and sounds of the surrounding area. The todd’s nose was far more sensitive than the Judy’s and that intrigued her to no end: she was so curious about what he could smell. After a moment, his eyelids rolled open so that his eyes to read a complementation of what he was scenting.

“Damn, Carrots…” He said, looking around the area a bit more.

“Do you like it?” Judy inquired, looking around at the house.

“Of course. It’s a little startling due to the short notice, but it is… nice.” He stated before rolling his eyes. “I wasn’t talking about that, though. I was talking about all that homework of yours that I had to pack up.”

Judy’s eyes shot open before she raised a paw to hide her embarrassment. She had completely forgotten about all of that stuff from the “investigation”.

“Always one to hit with the ‘deadpan snarker’ routine…” She replied admonishingly.

“I do what I can.” Nick said firmly, winking as he did deadpan.

The todd drew his gaze around the yard, smiling a bit more as he calmed down. The emerald in his eyes was starting to diminish a bit as the dilation returned, however there was a brightening glimmer in them. Judy took a moment to listen to the leaves in the trees as the wind blew through them. The warmth against her back and ears came from the waning light: the sun was starting to fall behind the high clouds on the horizon. It smelt to her like it was going to rain. Nick’s upward turned snout visually admitted that he thought much of the same.

“Go ahead and get your bed set up, Carrots. I’ll shuttle everything up to you before the storm rolls in.” Nick said, giving her a gentle push on the swing. “We’ll go see Tracy tomorrow to take care of the paperwork. I need to rest this evening.

“Sounds good!”

Immediately hitting the end of the arc, Judy jumped off of the swing and laughed before running inside to get unpacked. She could hear Nick chuckling and knew that his eyes were on her. The feeling made her even happier as she waved him forward.

Forty-minutes later, Nick had completely unloaded the truck and locked it up for the night. He ended up spending a bit of time unpacking the food into the fridge while she sneakily made up his bed for him: like her mother always did for the doe herself. Judy left a spare pillow on the todd’s bed but held off on leaving some of her plush rabbits for him. Fortunately, she had always hidden the small fox plush of hers in the drawers when she was away or knew that Nick would be coming over. The embarrassment would be worse than if he had found all her enticing undergarments. Eventually, he would find out that Judy slept with it in paw at night when they were separated, but that would come later on if she pursued her interest in him.

With a high-pitched laugh, she ran out of her room and slid down the railing of the stairs. A happy hop after she made it down brought her into the living room where Nick was resting in a recliner. The doe remembered having heard hammering from downstairs while she was making the bed. It seemed that Nick had carefully hammered mounts into the wall so that his guitars could hang. He had also opened a couple of the cases. He was focused on that task, but his ears were angled towards the sound of her laughter from the hall.

“Can I help out?” Judy asked happily, raising a paw at the wall.

Nick let out a breath and laid back in the chair to rub his maw contemplatively. It looked like his eyes were bothering him a bit by the way he would slowly blink.

“Why don’t you put them up?” He suggested with a smile.

“What? Are you sure?” Judy asked eagerly, looking around at all of the guitars.

“Go ahead. Think of them like puzzle pieces and fit them the way you think is best on the wall.”

The doe nodded eagerly, but carefully took up the guitar that they had spoken about the day before. Judy could have been practical, as she had lived her life, in the placement of the guitars. There were specific ones that she could tell Nick used more than others. However, specific spots called out for specific guitars in her mind, so she placed the decorated acoustic at head-height closer to the television stand. Next came the electric guitar that he had played on. As she went to pick that guitar up, Judy noticed that Nick had reclined a little and closed his weary eyes as he waited. His fluffy tail had draped itself over his lap in the process.

“Do you know how to tell the difference between the acoustics and the electrics, Fluff?” He asked quietly.

“Just that you can find the amp plugs in the electrics. I’ve seen most of those be thinner in the body than the acoustics.” She replied.

Nick simply hummed in affirmation, though Judy assumed there were exceptions to the rules.

“Do they have names?” Judy asked, looking around for the third guitar that she wanted.

“No. I don’t name them.”

“Why not?” Judy inquired further, somewhat surprised.

“You’re the second to have ever seen them and you’ll eventually surpass Finn in how often. I’ve never had a reason to or seen a reason to.” The todd explained with a sheepish grin. “I can explain each of their histories in case you ever have to grab one for me for some reason.”

“Please?”

“Of course. So, over in that corner,” Nick said, raising a digit towards the back corner of the room. “There’s a case covered in stickers. It was my father’s acoustic. A redwood with silver accenting parts. My mother gave it to me after his death. The decorated piece, that caught your eye yesterday, was the first acoustic that I bought myself. I think I was fifteen when I made that purchase. The one that I played on yesterday was my first electric and I bought that to, sort of, commemorate my first year in Mister Big’s employ. The others I picked up over time simply because they were beautiful pieces of art to me. I haven’t had the time to expand my collection since some crazy cute bunny hopped into my life, though. We could name them if you want…”

Judy’s eyes tracked to each of the specific guitars as Nick explained the history behind them. The doe did agree that the later pieces were quite beautiful: each having to come with a pretty decent price tag. A laugh did escape her at the compliment, as well. She would surprise Nick with names later and over time after making some considerations.

“Do you play anything on your father’s guitar?” Judy asked, taking it out of the case with extra caution.

“No. I haven’t played on it since I bought mine. It’s a memento that I play to with my acoustic on occasion. Like I’m playing for my father across from me…” He whispered before raising his voice back up. “I always thought I would give it to my future son as his first instrument, y’know. My grandfather bought it for my father, John, when he was younger.”

The Council of Judy’s fawned over the thought and she smiled at the sweetness of the sentiments shared. No matter what he said, Nicholas Wilde would be an amazing father. Judy had seen enough of that proof in the school visits that they were occasionally assigned to. The kits were always highly receptive to the todd’s suave demeanor and his eagerness to answer their questions. Unfortunately, Nick would always downplay any received compliments as the kits’ joy was “likely due to his notoriety” since the mayoral corruption cases.

“That’s an amazing idea, Nick. I’m sure you’ll get that opportunity.” Judy stated firmly, a smile overwhelming her face.

After a few minutes, Judy managed to put all of the guitars on the wall in the manner that she thought was befitting and stood the cases up near the entryway.

“Take a look, Nick.”

The todd raised up in his seat and opened his eyes. All of his guitars adorned the wall around the television stand. Judy had placed his father’s guitar in a stand, that she had found, prominently in the corner as if it was the centerpiece of his collection.

“It’s perfect, Judy.” He finally managed to say.

The doe chuckled and made a show of blowing on her tiny claws, dusting them off in mock self-appreciation. It made Nick laugh as he stood up.

“All due to those hundreds and hundreds of siblings that I had to help move around all of the time.” She said with a giggle.

“I have no doubt,” He shot back with a grin. “Alright. It’s going to be an early day tomorrow. We’ll see Tracy early and then there’s a place I want to take you. For now, I’ll order some food and then hit the sack. Sound good?”

“That sounds wonderful, Nick. What are we doing tomorrow, though?” Judy inquired eagerly.

“It’s a secret.” Nick laughed as he walked into the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. There is more to come as I flesh out my vision of the characters a bit more, and include some new faces. I hope to have the next chapter out within a couple of weeks depending on my schedule.


	5. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, first off, I'd like to thank you all for my first thousand views. I wasn't exactly expecting to get this far into the story considering it's an entirely new project arena for me, so that was a welcome sight. Secondly, I probably would have had this one done a lot sooner, but the chapter was fun overall. And, it's much longer than the others.
> 
> Comments and questions are always welcome. I'm always able to clear up curiosities.

The night had ended quietly for Nick Wilde though he was surprised to find a pillow on his bed before he laid down. Awaiting sleep to overtake him. It was a pleasant surprise to find that the bed was made already. The todd was grateful to the gods on high that the pillow had not been washed: still smelling like the sweet rabbit doe who had left it for him.

 _I’ll kick my own ass if I shred this one,_ the todd thought to himself.

His long weekend was well past the midway point now: with Sunday approaching in a few short hours. There was something that he wanted to include Judy. Nick was about to open up his past while working as a hustler, but he had no clue what prompted the decision. Maybe it was the danger of the unknown, or if it was the knowledge that death was possibly around the next corner, or if it was simply him trying to win over her affections. Nick was no longer overly worried about that past coming back to bite him now. The todd had taken his time to lay out the new life decision to all those whom he had contact with regularly in the past so that his sudden disappearance, and potential reappearance in those mammals lives, would not startle them so badly. He had made it clear that nothing of their pasts would be brought up to the ZPD, but that all future activities after completing his training, were on the table.

Many of them were not happy about it and promptly severed ties. And, Nick made sure to square any debts owed out or owed to him before leaving for the Academy. Mister Big had been extremely reserved when the fox notified him. The arctic shrew was always calculating. Especially when he was notified that, if it ever occurred, the duo would approach him for information regarding important cases if Chief Bogo needed it done. The water buffalo knew of Judy’s affiliation with the mob boss and also knew that Mister Big was somewhat instrumental in the closing of the Missing Mammals case. And, subsequently, the Nighthowler Case.

Nick had not known fear in that meeting. He knew that if something happened to him the ZPD would move heaven and earth to catch the perpetrator. And, even if they did not, Judy Hopps would. It was one thing to cross or irk the doe personally. Nick and Mister Big knew, though it was not specifically mentioned, that one did not cross her friends and expect to get away with it. The todd was at peace with any potential effort to see him killed off. He had no reason to expect such actions from the mob boss now, but if it ever came up, he was fine with that ending. Nick would never allow himself to be fearful of the shrew, in his presence, as he had been when him and Judy met Mister Big during the MMC again.

He would not want Judy to pursue any sort of vengeance, but it was an impossible request. After the incident with former Mayor Bellwether, it was highly likely that Judy Hopps would burn Mister Biggs world to the ground if the todd was targeted and harmed for whatever reason. Of course, the rabbit doe probably did not have a clue what that would do to the long existing organization of the Zootopian criminal underworld. But, it would not matter. Nick was absolutely convinced that he meant the world to the doe. Every single consequence be damned. It would only be surpassed if something happened to her. Nick’s wrath would be an inferno tempered by nothing and any mammal that stood in his way would be incinerated. In his case, it was entirely due to his love for her. Just the thought of something happening to Judy made his eyes hurt and his fangs ache.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Nick took another breath of her scent in through his nostrils to calm down. He curled up around the pillow and pulled the sheet up over his frame. The house was nice and had a proper heating unit in it. And, bless Karma for the quality of the bathrooms. The showers were amazing and the fur dryer even more so. Nick had accidently left the dryer on too high of a setting and likely heard Judy shrieking as she caught air when she used it after him. The mental imagery caused him to laugh for ten-minutes straight while the doe scolded the todd. He started chuckling again at thought of her poofed-out fur-do.

_She always did look amazing when her winter coat came in during the winters…_

With a content sigh, Nick finally settled into his new bed. Thoughts of Judy having fun on his planned adventure played in his mind as he fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~

 _You’re being so discrete, Hopps…_ the Pessimist chided.

The fact of the matter was that, after an hour, Judy could not stand ignoring the distress coming from the other room anymore. This was the real reason why Nick had offered to take the downstairs room. The sounds were loud indeed. That did not matter to her, though. The two main points, which she drew on, were that she could not stand to ignore the pained sounds and that she _wanted_ to be there with Nick: regardless of his current state.

For rabbits, it was common for littermates to seek companionship in sleeping piles when they were not partnered with loved ones. Judy did not have any of her littermates to sleep amongst in the city and it had been a very lonely time since moving back to Zootopia. Nick was the only mammal in the whole giant place that she trusted to allow into a pile that she desired to have. There was a sanctity in it and only non-rabbits would call it a selfish feeling. And, that was after the fact that she desired to share her life with him fully. Inevitably, she would fall asleep curled up around his fluffy tail… And, that meant awkward questions would require answers at some point. Nick would always figure out that she had been there even if, somehow, she managed to sneak out before he woke up.

In short, Judy would have thrown a cabbage into the street from the roof in frustration. The doe’s hindpaws brought her to Nick’s door. Her forepaws were preoccupied with ringing one of her ears nervously before reaching out and turning the knob to let herself in. Quickly, Judy pressed onward and shut the door so that the light would shine through. She made her way over to the high window and had to jump up to pull the curtain open. The dimmed moonlight filtered into the room from behind the cloud cover. There was a gentle thrum of rain on the rooftop above.

The ocular adjustment was easier for Judy this evening and that made climbing into the bed much easier. The sheets were soft against her fur as she wore her usual shorts and long t-shirt combo. Ignoring the loud vocalizations coming from Nick, she slid over and began the routine that she figured out the night before. She would never forgive herself if she caused Nick to accidently nip or scratch her due to being surprised by the change in his environment. Eventually, she was able to wrangle the pillow away from the todd and lay his head in her lap. And, just like the night before, Nick seemed to settle down. Unfortunately, for Judy, the Council was going nuts and causing a rapid blush to overtake her features.

Judy watching the moonlight through the window as she waited for Nick to calm down: ruffling his headfur while she waited. He was far deeper into the dreamscape than he had been the night before. The inner debate – on if she would end up leaving the room for the night – raged on for a little while before she fell asleep: watching the soft glow of the light.

~~~~~~~~~

The smell of fish permeated the new kitchen as Nick turned on the overhead stove fan. Once he was certain that the food was properly oiled, to keep it from burning while searing, he went over to crack the window. With practiced ease, he whipped a towel from one shoulder over the other before checking on the veggie omelet that he was preparing for Judy. A look of focused contemplation etched across his maw. The early morning start was… different, to put it lightly. The todd had not awoken out of the haze that he had become “accustomed to”. However, he was worried that Judy’s presence was muddling the results. Nick was supposed to be focused on how his temporary medication was affecting the elimination of the PTSD-induced nightmares.

The concern was that he was showing signs of a pair-bonding and he had no clue how deeply Judy’s presence or scent may have affected him during his savage state. If it were ingrained then his interest could not be boiled down to the todd being “prey-sexual”. Not that that that could apply; he had never experienced any feelings of love or desire for any prey in his lifetime before her. So, being a “prey-sexual” or a “preyophile” did not seem to fit.

 _They’ll still call you that though, dumbass,_ the Cynic muttered.

So… A _bond._ Or was it an _imprint?_ That was where he was lost. The fact of the matter was that he made forgotten much of his parent’s teachings on that subject and, after his father died, missed out on much more. There was a very purposeful lack of information on the internet: as foxes were predominately reclusive from the greater society when it came to their specific tendencies. Which, in Nick’s case, left him with having a discussion with his mother. And, what a discussion it would likely be…

Turning his thoughts back to the task at paw, Nick quietly finished the breakfast preparations before heading upstairs to wake Judy. It was uncharacteristic for her to sleep longer than the todd, to his knowledge. Nick found Judy still curled up in bed where he had left her. He rested a gentle gaze on her form and drank in the sights and the scents. The rabbit doe was captivating and absolutely admirable. The headstrong nature that Judy had led to a strong desire to follow and protect her.

But, right now, it was the perfect chance to tease her a bit.

Nick found a feather in one of his hats and quietly made his way over to the edge of the bed. A sly grin lingered as he reached out to brush the feather tip across her nose. He was carefully hidden behind the edge of the bed: ears plastered to the back of his skull. He had to admit that it probably looked a little creepy, but the mission had already commenced. There was nothing harder for him than trying to contain the laughter that he felt welling inside his chest as he watched Judy’s nose and its perturbed twitching. So much so that he had to pause when the doe released a yawn. Her small mouth forming an ‘O’ and letting her small buck teeth show while her paws batted at the unseen force annoying her tiny pick nose.

The todd struck again with a couple of passes with the feather and Judy’s face scrunched up in annoyance. Just as he was about to lose the battle of laughing, the doe’s eyes popped open suddenly and his ears shot into the forward alert posture. Judy blinked a couple of times as she evaluated Nick’s mostly hidden figure and the arm that was stretched out towards her with a feather in paw.

Judy growled.

And, that’s when Nick lost it: taking a proper knee as he began chortling.

“Nick! What the hell!” She said loudly.

“Karma save me, because you’re just too damn cute!” Nick said with a chuckle.

The next growl that he received sent him bounding out of the bedroom as he clutched his sides laughing. The pillow had closely followed, but only conveyed anger to the door as he rounded the corner.

“In my defense, you’re in my bed!” He hollered, flying down the stairwell by the fours. In his eagerness to get away, he almost slammed his shoulder into the wall at the bottom.

Nick was not fast enough. And, Judy completely ignored the stairs to drop down in front of him within the downstairs hallway. He had not expected that and tried to contain his kittish giggling while raising his paws.

“I made breakfast for you.” He said slyly.

Judy approached him menacingly and proceeded to attempt to dislocate his arm by repeatedly boxing him. The power was not overwhelming, but the repeated follow-up blows took their toll regardless. So, in the todd’s infinite wisdom, he gave her a giant bearhug and proceeded to carry her into the kitchen. He unceremoniously dropped her into the seat at the table and ignored the glare of daggers being shot his way. Nick took the utmost care to slide a plate over to her, without overshooting his target, before setting a glass of carrot juice down.

“Wherever did you get a feather, anyway?” Judy huffed, taking up her fork.

“From the peacock’s backside.” Nick replied happily.

The todd almost shot his morning coffee out of his nose when Judy promptly flipped him the bird. Once he caught his breath, Nick dug into his salmon and rice dish while carefully avoiding being stabbed with a metaphorical knife aimed for the forehead.

“Sooo… How’s the food?” He asked, letting a smile attempt to disarm Judy’s annoyance.

“It’s delicious, dumb fox.” Judy mumbled, taking another bite of her grilled carrot salad. “How long have you been awake?”

“Awhile. Somebunny’s sleepy chittering woke me up this morning, so I got a head start on the day before we had to leave.” Nick replied nonchalantly. “It was quite the sight to see that the little sneak had managed to steal her way into my room and claim my tail all for herself.”

“Are you purposefully trying to vex me?” Judy asked tartly, feeling her features inflame from the embarrassment.

“Only out of my tail’s innate curiosity.” Nick said with a growing smile.

“Nicholas Wilde, I will beat you over the head with a frying pan and drag you to your mother’s residence so that she can teach you your manners again...” Judy said seriously, pointing a fuzzy digit at the todd. It caused his ears to retreat at the threat of being violently squashed. “I came in to calm you down and you know it.”

Nick sighed, disarming his wise-cracking nature immediately, and took a long drink of his coffee before setting the cup down wearily.

“I apologize, Judy. I needed to wake you up and took it too far. Though, you should be commended for that stairwell maneuver. It certainly surprised me.” He explained kindly, turning to look out the window. “You always worry about others and that’s nothing to joke about. I could never ask for a better friend due to that. But, I need to ask something of you. Does it seem to be working?”

Judy looked up as she finished her salad and nodded. “You haven’t hurt a hair on me, Slick. You’ve settled down quickly both times that I’ve entered.” The doe indicated; ears held high in eagerness.

“I think the medicine is helping… While I’m down _there._ But, I need you to do me a favor.” Nick said softly, looking back at Judy once again. “I need you to resist coming in over this next week. Neither the doctors, nor I, expected this arrangement to occur. I’ve lived with this since I woke up, but the doctors need definitive data-points from the usage of the medication. Only under the most extreme of circumstances should you come in and only then to wake me up.”

The todd was not being unreasonable. That was the whole point of the medication usage in the first place. But, the sounds of the pain and torment drove Judy up the wall with the need to soothe it. Nick knew what he was stating fully. The stupidly sly, red-furred, and ostentatiously good-looking todd was telling Judy that he needed to potentially be thrown back into the pit. Nick would be able to draw comparisons between dreams of months’ past and the latest ones to see if the medication was working properly.

Nick watched a Judy hopped down off the chair and rounded the table to stand near to him. He was kind of anticipating another walloping from the bunny.

“Alright, Nick. But, if that changes and you need help, let me know. And, sorry about beating you up so much.” The doe said honestly. “I’ve got to go get showered.”

“Go ahead. I’ll wrap things up here.” He replied.

Nick proceeded to gather all of the necessary things for the day and loaded up the truck. The weather was a little cooler than he expected for the morning, so he threw a jacket on after he got back inside the house. He had decided not to pack any food for the duo since there was a nice place near to their final destination. He then gathered up some of Judy’s cold-weather clothes from the closet and brought them out to the living room. It did not take long for Judy to finish her own preparations and join him downstairs.

The drive back to the Breezeway Apartment Complex was short, but Tracy promptly let them upon their arrival. The little squirrel was just as energetic as ever as she greeted the pair: offering them tea in smaller cups than what Nick was accustomed to. He handled his carefully while the two females chatted eagerly. Eventually, she pulled out a short stack of papers and a pen for them to use.

“Alright. So, I’ve taken care of all the legwork, guys. The utilities will be split: I have the internet and power while you have the disposal. The first month’s rent will be half the aforementioned amount because Nick already paid for his month on the old room. And, you’ll be using this company for the trash and recycling.” Tracy explained.

Nick pulled out his checkbook and quietly wrote out the remaining balance, dutifully ignoring Judy’s protesting glare. He then took up the new contract and read through it. Once he applied his signature, he passed the contract to Judy to distract her annoyed glare.

“This is exceedingly kind of you, Tracy. Thank you.” Nick finally said, watching as Judy read over the agreement herself.

“It’s the least I can do for the two of you after everything you prevented in the past.” Tracy said before becoming extremely sly. “Though, it looks as if your friendly neighborhood cutie is going to give you an earful later.”

Judy nodded resolutely without looking up from the paperwork. Nick smiled a bit, knowing that his day plans would inevitably distract the doe from using him as a punching bag later. They had agreed on splitting the rent, but Nick knew that Judy did not carry checks usually, so it was nothing to worry about. For the moment, though, it appeared that Judy did not agree. She had signed the paperwork and was glaring at Nick intently. He gave an awkwardly fanged grin before returning his attention to the hyperactive squirrel pouring over the paperwork.

“Looks like everything is set! If we’ve missed anything, I’ll make sure to call you.” Tracy said happily. “By the way… I loved that cake, you big, red-furred teddy. Thank you.”

Nick could not help but roll his eyes. “You have to be well-versed in all things to be a great con-fox. So, of course, I learned how to cook.” He said semi-jokingly.

Tracy hopped up on the table and then leapt for Nick’s head quickly. No matter how far back his ears would go, they could not escape the torment of the squirrel. He managed to drag his paw down his muzzle while they two ladies laughed.

“It’s a good thing you know how to cook, Mister Con-Fox. Because that country cutie looks like she’s going to gnaw on the table here pretty soon.” She whispered loudly, making sure that Judy missed nothing.

“What are you talking about? I already fed her this morning!” Nick said in exasperation.

“I can hear the both of you!” Judy shouted at Tracy. “And, stop calling me cute!”

Tracy started laughing while pulling on one of Nick’s ears as it attempted to slap the squirrel in its own annoyance.

“Oh! You shy little devil, you. I only want a hug!” Tracy exclaimed loudly, wrapping his ear up in a big hug.

The loudness made Nick’s ears ring due to her proximity, but he managed to indulge his friend a little while Judy stuck her tongue out at him.

“It looks like you’ve started a new fashion trend, Mister Wilde. A small and extra-small line of mammal jewelry.” Judy snarked at him.

Nick blew a raspberry at her before snatching up Tracy and setting her on the tabletop. Judy began to laugh at both of the looks on their faces, though the squirrel doe was trying her hardest not to burst out laughing again.

“Keep that up and there’s no cake for you next year…” Nick mumbled before looking at Judy. “And, definitely no more breakfasts for you, Carrots.”

Both of the ladies started grumbling loudly as Nick stood up and put his jacket back on. He patiently waiting for them to reattain their proper adult ages before clearing his throat.

“Tracy, please, let me know if anything comes up. If you need anything or an amending of the contract needs to be made, just call. And, thank you again.” He said formally.

“Of course, of course. Now, if you’ll excuse me. The _Rescue Rangers_ have paged me, and I need to get back to work. Have fun today!” Tracy said, teasing them as she checked her phone.

Nick guided Judy out with a wave and listened to her giggling all the way to the truck. Apparently, the doe had seen the old kits television series out in the Burrows and thought it thoroughly amusing of Tracy having mentioned it.

“Nick?”

“Yeah, Fluff?” He replied, knowing where this conversation was heading as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“You’ll still make breakfasts for me, right?” Judy inquired sullenly.

The todd chuckled. “Only if you learn how to sleep in more. If you wake up before me, you’re cooking.” He said with an ingratiating grin.

The rabbit doe grumbled for about of the quarter of the way to their destination while Nick pointed the nose of the truck east-bound, towards the Haymarket District of Savanna Central and the edge of Muddy Swamp.

~~~~~~~~~

The sun was somewhat restrained due to the canopy above them. Nick pulled the truck up the edge of the clearing and grinned as he saw the semi-secret pond beyond the grasses. He laughed when he turned the engine off, but still felt a vibration in the cab of the vehicle. Judy was doing her best not to make inquiries, but it seemed like the bunny was about to explode in the passenger seat due to the curiosity.

He promptly exited the cab before opening the rear door and looking under the seat. The todd found his old ZDF-grade carrying tube. It was waterproof and floated if need be. He took out a five-gallon bucket and a box in another paw. Judy had zipped around the bed of the truck to see what he was doing. Once he had everything collected, Nick started off to the edge of the pond. It was in a secluded area of Haymarket and he had never seen too many other mammals there over the years he had been coming.

The bank was firm under his paws, and he set everything down to discard his jacket. It was significantly warmer due to the proximity to the Rainforest District. The inner bayous laid beyond the pond and were officially used as the district boundaries. The todd imagined that it was warm enough to probably go swimming, but due to the illegal trade in reptilian pets over the last several decades, it was likely home to an alligator or two. He had preemptively set his taser to the maximum voltage just in case; though, he was optimistic that there would not be an issue.

“So, before you spontaneously detonate my favorite fishing hole, there’s your hint.” Nick said with a chuckle, beginning to unpack the rods from within the protective survival tube.

The surprise and excitement in those amethyst eyes made the todd’s smile grow despite himself. He could already hear the rapid-fire questions and comments being relayed between those long, fuzzy, gray ears.

“So, do you want to ask your questions first or would you like the story to narrow them down?”

That adorably small mouth opened, and then closed, and then opened again as it attempted to blurt things out despite the mental warning orders being blared at her from the brain. Nick was positive that, if he were not as old as he was, he would have been rolling around in the grass at the absolutely adorable display sitting next to him. The resistance was resolute as he began baiting the hooks of the dedicated catfish rods before checking the small baits on the sunfish rods.

“Ah! This is so embarrassing,” She finally muttered. “Can you tell me the story?”

“Alright, I’ll start there. I’ll apologize first: I didn’t know if rabbits did any fishing. So, I don’t have properly sized fishing rods for you. But, I did purchase a license for you… before you go all ZDWF on me.” Nick explained, passing her the folded paperwork. He would get an earful later when Judy saw the cost of the yearly fee. “Just watch the bobber. If it goes down, start reeling, OK?”

Deciding that a story would be better served with the least effort in fishing, he side-swung the two catfish lines out into the pond and sat down on the bank. Once Judy firmly had the cork-gripped rod in her paws, and dawned the look of absolute cluelessness, the todd grinned confidently before giving her a thumbs-up.

“So… Way back in the day, when this amazingly handsome todd was just as tall as a pint of Chief Buffalo Butt’s favorite ice cream, dad taught me how to fish and mom taught me how to cook. He took me to several spots all throughout the Marshlands, and a couple of saltwater shoals in Sahara Square, before he passed. My favorite places were out here, at the time, because it was far more likely that it I would lose a rod or get dragged into the water on the coast. Different kinds of fish on a larger scale and all…” Nick began, reeling his bait in a little while watching the shoreline for uncharacteristically large churns.

He knew that Judy was intently eyeballing the two bobbers offshore with an ear cocked his way at the high-alert to take in everything.

“Out here, it’s calmer. Less wind, usually sunny unless you went into the interior of the Marshlands, and I could catch sunfish all day. He took me for a couple of years, but after he died, I didn’t go fishing until my last school year. It didn’t really become important again until I left home.” He said.

Knowing that this was a point where questions were important, he paused and let Judy pick up on the opening to drop the line of interrogation. Nick could have sworn that Judy was vibrating at a higher frequency since exiting the Furd.

“When you were conning?” She asked.

“Yeah. Until I turned eighteen, I was still in the house. There was a nice little cushion being setup in those years. When things finally broke down with mom, I learned a lot of things about being on the street. I made mistakes and lost some money until I turned twenty and wised-up. Stay with friends when able, find free shelter when I couldn’t, learn additional survival skills to assist with feeding myself, and fished for nearly all my food. Very rarely would I indulge and eventually I doubled and then tripled what I had had left over at twenty. Then, I got on with Mister Big. They housed and fed me while I was under his employ. Fishing went to the wayside again with the rare occasion that the polar bears would take me out. I learned new tricks then because they preferred to be out on the ice for their fishing. I actually haven’t had halibut in quite a while, now that I think about it…” Nick said, beginning to ponder shopping for the delicacy. He certainly did not enjoy fishing around Tundratown due to the cold. “And, then, we had our ‘disagreement’ and I went back to doing the usual. I met Finnick not long after that debacle. So, every week, I would take a day to fish for us and Finnick would con solo. He’d split the profits because he sucks at providing anything other than a place to stay.”

“Did you ever try to teach him how to fish?” Judy interrupted quickly.

“Of course,” Nick said, laughing loudly. “You shall never repeat this… Ever. He’ll know who told. But, I took him out one day. Doing the same routine as I am now and all. Well, this giant mud-cat hooks up on his bait while he wasn’t paying attention and hammers-down for the middle of the pond. That fish was _hauling ass._ All I hear is _whiiizzzzzzz_ of the line screaming out of the reel and then his surprise, and then his screaming. I turned around and he’s bouncing across the ground towards the pond like a damn skipping stone. That fish _had_ to have had six-times the weight on Finnick and the poor guy’s just _going for a ride…”_

The todd had to pause and switch the rod in his paws, laughing himself to tears at the mental reel being played in his head.

“What happened, though?” Judy asked eagerly.

“Kind of obvious, really. I was laughing so hard that I nearly didn’t catch my little buddy. He finally let go of the fishing rod after we hit the water. He was so pissed. Cussing the mud-cat, cussing all of Fennec kind, and _especially_ cussing me out. I didn’t even mind that it cost me two-days of conning to replace it. But, Finnick left my ass on the bank with all of my gear for laughing about it.” The todd finalized shortly. “He never came out fishing again.”

The doe’s mouth started wobbling as she attempted to withhold her laughter and Nick watched as her eyes and nose scrunched up, too. Finally, Judy could not hold it anymore and her laughter echoed around the clearing.

“Serendipity, forgive me… But, that catfish taught him a thing or two, huh?” She commented.

Nick chuckled evilly. “Finnick did learn that he skipped pretty well.”

The pair shared in each other’s maniacal laughter while they waited for a bobber to take a dunk.

“With that said, I’ll warn you. You’re really strong for your size. But, if that bobber hits, I don’t want you to attempt to catapult launch the fish to the bank. You’ll only rip the hook out of its mouth. OK?” Nick said, still chuckling while taking another look around.

“Awww…” Judy groaned with her own laugh.

“Don’t make me explain this in grade-school science for you.” Nick ribbed her, catching sight of his bobber disappearing.

“Hey!” Judy shouted, pointing out towards the disturbance.

The todd stood and tipped his rod up while he began reeling in his catch. It felt like he had a twelve-pound catfish on, and it was no big deal to bring it ashore. It had flopped on the surface near the edge for a bit in its resistance, but Nick did not notice any activity elsewhere in response. That did not mean anything necessarily, but it did provide a bit of comfort for Nick as he dropped the catfish in the bucket.

“Would you like to try for the sunfish or bluegill? I’ve technically caught my regular allotment of mud-cat, so I don’t need any more. And, the bluegill are more fun to duel with.” Nick offered with a smile.

He caught Judy peering into the bucket in awe before nodding eagerly. So, the todd quietly rigged the small and shiny grub bait to the thin, translucent line. Unfortunately, before he could finish, he heard Judy gasp and promptly felt something heavy smack him in the back of the head.

“Fluff?” He asked awkwardly, turning around.

“Sooo…” Judy said.

The doe quickly went over to the taller fox and waved Nick down to her level. Nick kneeled down as the doe quickly fixed whatever it was that the matter. Once she was done, Nick turned to find that Judy’s hook, lead sinker, and bobber was in her paws. Nick could not help but adopt the smuggest of looks without saying a word.

“Sorry…” Judy said sheepishly.

Nick started chuckling and passed her the fishing rod. “Just toss the bait out there with the tab on the back, hold it until the bait hits the water, and then slowly reel in the bait. Repeat until something bites, but let the fish take it before you set the hook. And, don’t set it like you just tried to do. This type of fish is smaller and sleeker, so there will be less resistance.” He explained. “I usually catch three nice sized ones before calling it a day, but you can fish as much as you want.”

Judy proceeded to take the rod and awkwardly walk back over to the spot they had chosen before attempting to cast. Nick watched as he rigged up another sunfish bait before joining her. He quickly noticed that catfishing would probably be easily for her because of the enlarged pieces on the reel. Judy did not seem to be able to reach the release single-pawed while casting due to the shortness of her digits. So, Nick laid his rod aside and tucked himself behind the doe to help her cast. Judy’s scent was pleasantly mixed with a meadow bloom aroma from her soap and it was a little distracting, but she made no comment while they worked out the nuisances of casting together.

“I’m willing to bet that an otter-class rig would fit your paws almost perfectly. If you want, we can shop for one this evening before we head back.” Nick offered. “That is, if you want to go fishing regularly and we work on your attempts to launch the fish into the stratosphere.”

The todd could see the blush heating her ears through the darker grey fur and quickly heard a laugh.

“You want me to go fishing with you?” She asked quietly.

“Well, I figure you’d get annoyed if I started rekindling my old hobbies without more than an explanation. Of course, you’re always welcome out here. I would love the company.” He explained.

“This is really fun. Even if all I’ve caught so far is a fox.” Judy giggled.

“The rarest type of fish in this pond, I can assure you.” Nick chuckled himself. “But, what was so funny?”

“Do you think the Space Administration has launched fish into orbit, Nick?”

“I have no clue, Fluff. But, I think they’ll be pissed if you were the first one… And, to accomplish such a feat without rocket fuel, no less.”

Judy promptly brought her next overhead swing back further than needed to thump the todd on the head, with the rod, in a silent retort.

Eventually, the doe found a way to get the bait far enough out on her own by switching which paw she supported the rod with. Using her left, Judy would touch off the release as required while throwing with her right. It looked a little awkward, at first, because the assembly was somewhat heavy to utilize in such a fashion. However, Judy quickly got it down and caught three keepers before continuing to fish for fun. She always casted overhead, so Nick took up a spot slightly behind and left of her body while watching. He had stopped finishing entirely to keep an eye on the bank and watch his friend eagerly. Every time she hooked a fish, he would go forth to unhook it so that she wasn’t juggling the rod and the fish at the same time. Nick felt more comfortable being in closer proximity to the water as opposed to allowing her anyway.

Nick sat mostly in silent contemplation of the doe, retaining a warm smile on his muzzle, as she eagerly fished different spots of the pond. He would occasionally suggest a different angle or spot to see if she could hook anything interesting. On two occasions, he had to re-bait the line because of her getting caught in a fallen tree. Regardless of that, Judy was having an absolute blast by the look of things. He was surprised that she had not even complained about the smell of the fish or the rankness of the catfish stink baits. Nick had already learned that turkey dog pieces did not have enough effectiveness in this pond due to the thickness of the muddy murk. He would have preferred that himself. The stink bait smell tended to get stuck in his longer coat.

His thoughts were consumed by the glances at Judy. The doe’s ears seemed to be etched in their high alert status, forward towards the bait placement in the pond with every cast, and the focus burned with a passion in those gorgeous eyes. Nick could have chuckled: it looked like some of the times when they had been given a new case. The todd knew that she knew it was not work, but the passion and the fun that she seemed to be having made his day.

The other thing that Nick could not ignore, no matter how he tried, was following the happy swaying of Judy’s wisping cottontail. The stark white nature of the little puff contrasted the blue jeans well. Yes. Essentially, he was staring at her ass. Another fish on her line paused the thoughtless train of stares and he dutifully stood up to unhook it.

“Nick? We never really got to talk about the next set for you the other day. What’s the plan?” Judy asked, watching as he nimbly unhooked the undersized bluegill and chucked it into the drink.

“Oh. Well, Dave ended up shooting me a text. He wanted to run his songs in this set. So, I’ll be playing bass probably. The others usually send in a list of their songs on Mondays with a detail of who’s playing what and then I end up running through the list, based on placement, on Wednesdays. Unless, of course, it’s the drums.” Nick explained.

“So, you’ll practice on Wednesday and play on Thursday.” Judy confirmed.

“Yeah. We’ve had to narrow it down to once a week, I think. Everyone’s working harder with the holiday season coming up. When we played Tuesdays, we were really just having fun. We didn’t practice at all. Now, we can kind of relax more even if our jobs are pushing the feelings in the opposite direction.” He said.

“It sounds like a fun!” Judy said happily, aiming her next cast downrange.

Nick watched as the bait hit the water and was immediately nailed by a large fish. The todd guessed that she had dropped the lure near a smallmouth bass that was defending their nest. Judy whooped loudly as the fish gave her more of a fight than the smaller bluegill.

“Keep the rod-tip up, Fluff. And, lead it out of those sticks while you reel!” He said in support.

The doe began hopping around excitedly while fighting the heavy fish as it attempted to lose the line in the fallen tree limbs under the surface. Eventually, Judy managed to bring it ashore after several minutes of gleeful bantering at the catch. Nick was pleased to find that his guess was in fact correct. The smallmouth bass had to have weighed close to ten-pounds and was decently proportioned. Taking the fishing rod from Judy, Nick gave her the fish to hold and while she was not paying him any attention, he took out his phone and began taking pictures. Nick could not help but laugh as she began berating the unruly catch as it tried to slap her with his tail. The photos were absolute gold.

“So, do you want to keep it? There’s a guy that I know who runs a shop and would buy it. I’m taking the others there to be prepared anyway.” Nick offered.

Still fighting to keep her paws on the fish, Judy shot him a confident grin. “That sounds great for this delinquent. How does it work?” She asked.

“Well… You can catch five of those a day, as long as they meet specific size requirements, and markets or shops will pay a price for each one. That one is probably going to earn you fifteen bucks.” Nick explained.

“There are limits?”

“Yes, there are bag limits. You can catch seven bluegill or crappie, the smaller kinds of sunfish. Five of the larger types, like that bass. And, there’s no limit on catfish because they’re extremely resilient and plentiful comparatively. But, that means catfish tend to bring in less money while being significantly larger in size.” Nick said, pointing at each of the types of fish. “Are you getting hungry?”

“I am!” Judy exclaimed.

“Alright, then. Let’s get packed up.”

~~~~~~~~~

The storefront of Jacob Riverfoot’s brought back lots of memories for Nick. It had been over three-years since he had been in and was actually surprised to see that the old timer was still in business. Of course, the todd had checked the online listings every so often to confirm Jake’s availability, but a lot had changed since Nick had been there. The large river otter’s shop was emblazoned with Japanese-stylized texts and drawings to entice predator customers because it was a fish shop. It was actually weird because, while Jake had been born in Japan, he had been raised through his mid-20s in the Isles: specifically, Scotland.

The bell on the doorway jangled angrily as Nick led Judy inside. The doe had insisted on carrying the bucket of fish inside herself. Nothing had changed from the last time he had been there. There was a gentle undertone of cooked fish beneath the fresh pine scents that had been placed around the shop by Jacob’s family members. It was a family trade after all. Jacob had two sons, two daughters, and his wife Anna ran the finances. The eldest boar manned the counter while his littermates processed orders in the back room.

“Hey, Old Timer, there’s an elusive, red-furred bastard in here… Probably looking for you!” John bellowed into the back room upon spotting the new customers.

 _“Nicholas Wilde?!”_ Jacob yelled from the back. _“I heard he got turned into catfish shite a-couple of years ago.”_

Judy balked and her ears fell back in concern while listening in.

“You just get out here, you glorified boat motor!” Nick bellowed back, grinning toothily.

_“Uh glorified boat motor, eh?!”_

Nick had to place a paw on Judy’s back to keep her from back-peddling towards the door while they listened to the otter stomping his way towards the front of the store. There was nothing to worry about; not that she knew that yet.

“Oi! It is indeed a fox that smells like catfish shite.” Jacob said loudly, looking down at the duo. “And, he’s been kitnappin’ wee lil’ bunnies to do all his fishin’. What the ’ell.”

 _“No language in the front!”_ Anna shouted from the back.

Before Nick or Judy could even retort, the otter grabbed Nick up into a giant hug and swung him around ecstatically. The look of surprise on Judy’s face was seen in quick sequencing as Nick was tossed around bodily.

“I thought that ol’ hag Bellwether had certainly shaved your tail. What the ’ell happened to you after that, you scraggly young todd?” The otter bellowed, nearly cracking the todd’s back before setting him down.

“I moved on to my next chapter in life, so I’ve been busy.” Nick explained. “It’s good to see you again, Jake.”

“Well, why is the bonnie lass, from the ZPD, carrying all your fish? Where are ye manners, boy?” Jacob said condescendingly before grabbing the doe’s paw to shake it vigorously. “Jacob Riverfoot, Miss Hopps. Welcome to our humble shop!”

“They’re all her fish, you dumbass. I only caught the mud-cat.” Nick said firmly.

“Are ya tellin’ me that you really did force her ta do all your fishin’? Miss Hopps! Avert ye eyes, lassie, so that I may strike this here wank-stain down with the wrath of Odin’s might!” Jacob exclaimed, grabbing Nick to give him a vicious headlock. “I cannaey believe you, Nicholas. I’m gonnae whoop your arse, boy.”

Nick, having trouble breathing, watched as Keith approached Judy to relieve her of the bucket and begin the preparations. He was completely ignoring the show going on in the entryway, for the most part. It also looked as if Judy’s brain had short-circuited from the display.

“I’m not even shore if I needta be upset because ye decided ta prepare her fur ye suppa or if I needta berate ya for pickin’ such a scrawny one, lad. Ya wee lass, call fur backup! I’ll ’old the connivin’ boar down so ye can be makin’ your escape!”

Unfortunately, the more excited Jacob got, the more pronounced his accent became. Nick gave a half-assed attempt as punching the otter in the side to get him to let go.

“Unpaw me, you bantering skirt-wearer. Where are your bagpipes anyway?” The todd gasped with a laugh. “Judy’s even got _legal tender!”_

 _“Oi!”_ Keith relayed to the shop, adopting the Scottish accent that he clearly did not have to rib his father. “Shots fired ovada bow, eh!” 

“Don’t worry, Carrots. He’s just mad because someone stole his nine iron and putter. He sounds like he’s from Glasgow, but he’s a fake! He’s really from Edinburgh!” Nick gasped out, starting to laugh. “You’ll hear it. He’ll say _bollocks_ and he’ll mean balls because he lost them all in the _grouse_. And, he’s talking about the grass there. He’ll be with the _fooks,_ but he isn’t being explicit or talking about the gray foxes. He’s talking about the drunk mammals he’s playing golf with.”

The giant otter went rigid as Judy began to giggle uncontrollably at the pair’s antics. Eventually, the doe’s laughter was bouncing around the shop while Nick continued to make verbal jabs about the Scottish national football team, and someone named William Wallace.

“Nick! What’s the order?!” Keith shouted over them officially, not even looking up from his work.

“Normal prep on everything but the bass if you would, Keith! Miss Hopps wanted to present that bass to you all for a potential sale.” Nick coughed out officially. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have to put this _rudderbutt_ in his place.”

“Ah’ll show you, ye fookin’ pelt!”

“Nick!” Judy said loudly, certainly opposed to the specism.

 _“Language!”_ They all heard from the backroom.

Nick finally broke free from the headlock and pounced on the back of Jacob’s neck before shouting: _“FREED-DOM!”_ while throwing a fist in the air.

“They’re always like this, Miss Hopps. It’s a pleasure to meet you, by the way. I’m Keith Lightfoot, the eldest son of our lineage.” The otter introduced himself, still not looking up. “I’m willing to pay fifteen-dollars for the bass. Do you find this acceptable?”

“Of course. I’m just surprised that there were places that buy fish here in the city.” Judy said kindly, collecting the offered funds for the product.

“We cater to all kinds of predators. This particular fish actually has a buyer already, so it worked out for us as well as it did for you.” Keith explained.

 _“Someone, bring me the blue paint!”_ Nick hollered in the background.

“Nick mentioned a shop that had fishing supplies. The fishing rods that he had didn’t exactly fit me.” Judy explained.

Keith looked up a bit, kind of looking her over for a moment, before setting the fillet knife down that he had been wielding. The otter silently walked off to the backroom and returned several minutes later. After a moment, he presented an older fishing rod to the young doe.

“Nick’ll get shaved if he buys a new one. This one is a hand me down, but it should suit the purpose.” The boar said in a seemingly emotionless fashion. He was all business.

“I have to pay for that, though.” Judy exclaimed.

“No.” The firmness startled the doe a little. “We owe Nick everything we have. I would never accept a thing for that.”

Judy tilted her head in wonder, handling the fishing rod carefully, before speaking up again. “What do you mean that you owe him everything?”

Keith went back to slicing the fish unceremoniously.

“We went on vacation a few years ago. The shop ended up catching fire due to a vehicle crashing through the front. Nick didn’t know that the whole family was gone and came in with his normal catch for the week. Somehow, and I don’t know how, he managed to put the fire out before the ZFD showed up. We only found out much later, during our reopening inspection from the Fire Chief, that a red fox had stopped the fire. We had Finnick, whom I imagine that you’ve met, lure him to the reopening party. Nick and dad ended up having a very loud discussion regarding risked fur versus insurance coverage. Since that day, they’ve been like this. Neither gave up their positions on the issue.” He explained simply.

There was a significant amount of surprise on Judy’s muzzle as she looked over at the two males, who were still sparring in the entryway. They were certainly being ridiculous, and Anna had come out to mediate the disruption that her eldest was resolutely ignoring.

“Nicholas! Your package will be prepared by tomorrow afternoon and the price is twenty-five! Quit screwing around in the shop before you knock something over!” Keith suddenly bellowed.

 _“Finishing move!”_ Jacob shouted before slamming the fish he had into Nick’s torso.

Judy heard all of the air expel from the fox’s body while the older otter began laughing in victory.

“Make sure to charge him double for defiling this fish, Keith!” Keith said triumphantly.

“I’m charging you for that fish because you hit him, stupid!” The son responded loudly, pointing the filet knife at him. “Actually, I’ll give it to Nick for free!”

The todd grinned in his own triumph, checking to see that Judy was not looking prior to flipping the large otter the bird out of mock spite. It almost caused Jacob to swing the fish at Nick again.

“Nicholas, quit antagonizing your friend.” Judy said firmly, turning to watch the renewed standoff.

The todd sighed and backed down to assess the situation of the fish that Judy had caught; quietly noticing that she had the empty bucket of his and a fishing rod.

“Wow. You’re so whipped.” Jacob muttered loudly.

Nick ignored the jab from the eldest boar while giving Anna a hug upon her prompt. The sow was usually polite and extremely quiet, showing affection for others in her own way. For Nick, the Lightfoots were probably the closest thing to family despite the usual unruliness between him and the patriarch.

“Go take her out to eat, dumbass. I can hear her stomach from over here.” Keith said bluntly. “Wash up at the sink before you go, though.”

Judy blushed a bit at the sounds her stomach was in fact making and Nick finally noticed as well. The todd waved at the doe so that she could wash up at the front of the store. Once she was done, Nick washed his paws thoroughly with a stainless-steel bar before switching to the soap. He attempted to run the soap over most of his arms despite knowing that he would not be able to do a thing about the rest of himself until later.

“Alright, Carrots. C’mon. Let’s feed that alligator that you have in your stomach.” Nick chuckled.

“Shut up, dumb fox…” She muttered back.

“Alright, guys. I’ll be back tomorrow for the fish. Thank you.” The todd said, waving to the family.

“This innae over, ya bawbag.” Jacob said proudly.

“Go blow on a bagpipe, old timer.” Nick countered, leading Judy out of the shop with a laugh.

It seemed that Judy thought they needed to drive to the location but caught on to the fact that Nick merely loaded up the bucket before shutting the rear do. The doe quickly put her new fishing rod away and followed the todd down the street. With his paws in his pockets, Nick grinned to himself while looking around the business district. He had always enjoyed this part of central Haymarket. It was wrapped in the western tributary that ran through Savana Central. The demographics were tilted towards the predator as opposed to prey due to the logistics of the area. A lot of boats stopped in due to the docks in the area and the markets nearby, creating a high rate of commerce for the area as a whole.

Eventually, the duo was graced by a diner at the corner of the next intersection. The exterior lights had come on due to the lateness just before they entered the door. The ‘Open’ sign blinked and twinkled despite the sun’s focus against the front of the building. The whole place brought back memories. Nick led Judy inside and they found a free booth near the window. The sun felt pleasant on his fur as he relaxed in the cushy seat. The waitress was still busy taking care of a couple of tables, so it was alright to take a moment’s break.

“This is Nina’s place. Nina Flores, a kit fox. My mother worked here, when I was little, before taking up a supervisor’s position at a local company closer to the old home that we lived in.” Nick gave a little backstory while they waited. “I’m a little surprised though, Fluff. You didn’t bat an eyelash about fishing today.”

“Nick,” Judy sighed, pointing at the fox after a moment. “You hadn’t really opened up since the gondola and there are reasons for that. I imagine that there was a lot to process up until the other day. Fishing, for you, is both a necessity and a fun hobby. All I do is read, watch movies, and work. It’s an absolute blast to be included in things that I’ve never done before and that you love. So, thank you.”

Nick could do nothing but give the doe a polite nod of understanding as he watched one of Nina’s waitresses approach. There was a look of uncertainty on the ocelot’s face as Tabitha Renton finally stopped at the table.

“Nick? Is that you?” The female inquired in uncertainty.

“Of course, Tabitha. It’s good to see you again. I hope you’ve been staying out of trouble.” The todd replied smoothly.

Oh, wow! It is you!” She exclaimed. “Nina will be so relieved. We haven’t seen you in forever.”

The ocelot set down two menus and rushed off with their drunk orders to collect the Nina. Nick relaxed again while watching her go, he wasn’t going to be in much trouble with the kit fox. The todd turned his attention back to Judy and watched as she fiddled with her paws quietly.

“The main crew is Nina, Tabitha, and Brian on dayshift, while Fredrick, Victor and Courtney are on nightshift. The cook’s name is Bernard, and he stays on most of the time due to his insomnia. Victor rotates when Bernard finally can’t stand being up any longer. Shift change will happen in a bit. And, the respective composition is kit fox, ocelot, leopard, elk, hyena, a black and white bunny, and a grizzly bear. I’m amazed that he even fits through the door…” Nick explained before pausing suddenly.

The bear, whom Nick had been speaking about, had snuck up to the end of the table with a kit fox standing in a large flat paw. And, without a doubt, Bernard was a lot bigger than the last time the todd had seen him.

“Damn, Grizzles. If you get any bigger, they’re going to have to have a TUSK helicopter fast rope you in through the ceiling.” Nick deadpanned.

“Miss Nina. What is my old record for the rocket-fox throw?” Bernard growled lowly.

“I think you threw Nick nearly two-hundred yards. But, you threw Finnick over two-fifty. I would have thought that the reverse propulsion from him running his maw would have made it way less, but I was wrong.” Nina explained nonchalantly.

Nick leaned over and held up a paw to whisper to Judy. “Bernard used to work with Finnick and I. We had a gambling con setup to make money.” He said shortly. It appeared that Judy wished to chastise Nick for such behavior, but she did not say anything.

“I think I could make three-hundred yards these days…” Bernard chuckled deeply.

Tabitha ran back over with their drinks and sat tight near the table. The ocelot would not be able to put in their orders with the cook being there anyway.

“Oh, you’re in so much trouble, Nicholas. But, your mother will be happy to hear that you’re alive.” Nina said firmly.

Nick laughed a bit. “What are you talking about? I had to have been on the news enough to know that I wasn’t dead, Nina. There’s no way she hasn’t seen me on patrol, anyway.” He said, actually somewhat bitter about being on the news at all.

“Yes. We’ve seen you on TV, decked to the nines, in both your ceremony and patrol uniforms.” Nina nodded seriously. “Always playing the security for this young lady, no less. But, we all know who she is.”

The todd laughed a bit more as they all watched Judy become flustered under her company’s scrutiny.

“Hi, everyone. My name’s Judy,” She introduced herself, waving awkwardly. “Nick told me who everyone was.”

“Oh, yes. Finnick told me all about you.” Nina grinned deviously. “The one bunny in the whole world that managed to hustle a fox. And, not just any fox…”

“Don’t start with this again.” Nick said, sighing loudly.

“Hush. She outfoxed the slyest Red since Robin Hood and you know it.” Nina laughed maniacally. “You should feel so proud, Miss Hopps.”

“Lion Christ, you guys…” Nick muttered, rubbing down his face.

Bernard started laughing as he brought down a heavy paw on Nick’s head, mussing the fur of the todd thoroughly. The kit fox continued laughing while pointing back to the kitchen.

“Onward, Bernard! We’ll make the dork and the fair maiden the surprise dishes!” She said loudly as if she was a captain on a ship.

“And, we’ll charge the fox double for his. _Heh heh heh.”_ The grizzly said with a devious chuckle.

“I’ll make sure to tell your mother that you dropped by! But, it’s back to work for us!” Nina continued hollering, startling some of the new guests who walked in.

The grizzly stomped away while Tabitha looked a little confused by not having to take a normal order for her customers, but quickly followed her leadership away. Nick could not help but lose a groan before it turned into a happy chuckle. Thinking back on his days conning, Nick had built up quite the rapport with lots of mammals and it brought on a lot of good memories.

“You know everybody around here then?” Judy inquired.

“I know _everybody_ , Fluff. But, this area was kind of my area-of-operations, if you will. There was an exclusion zone in this district for our crew. Finnick and Bernard are the only two left of the guys and gals that I ran with.” Nick said.

Under the thin glass of the tabletop was a map of Zootopia. Nick took a pointed claw and drew a path where the boundaries had been for him to show Judy. The doe looked around the crisscross pattern of roads to the northwest of the majority highway that ran into the southern Nocturnal District across the river. Nick had to assume that she thought it was probably “home” to him.

“What happened to the others, Slick?” Judy asked without much thought.

Nick shrugged a bit, looking around the map now for a distraction.

“The criminal underworld is a small world in and of itself, Fluff. There are a lot of pitfalls and enemies to make. Some fell to the drugs or to the gunfire and others sought a higher power than what they could ever hope to wield. A couple of my old acquaintances got out clean – long before I did – and I never saw them again. Most are dead. A brutally small number of them are in prison.” He said quietly.

“I’m sorry to hear about your friends, Nick. I am glad that you made it through all of that, though.” Judy apologized kindly.

After a few minutes of staring out at the falling sun, Nick noticed a diminutive figure approaching their table. Looking over, he found Tabitha setting their plates onto the glass tabletop. Of course, Judy had no idea what she was in store for. However, Nick was pleasantly surprised that Bernard had remembered his preferred nightly order down to the proper sides. The breaded chicken burger was seasoned adequately and covered in mayo, mustard, and lots of melting cheese. The duo made sure to thank the waitress properly before she left them alone. The todd did not know what it was that Judy had been served simply by looking at it. He had only ever ordered the same two meals depending on if it was before or after noon. Nick was content with leaving a silence at the table while they ate. The gray doe was obviously tired by the look of her half-folded ears. They were not droopy, as if she was sad. She was definitely enjoying her food.

Once they finished their meals, Nick paid the tab and wished the staff well for the night. The lights of the market district faded into the rearview mirrors while he steered the way back towards the house. A glance over at the passenger seat found Judy staring out the window in rapt interest of the nighttime cityscape. The todd pondered if this was how it was for her when she first arrived to Zootopia. Resting an elbow on the door-frame to prop up his chin with a paw, he had a gentle smile on his muzzle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's some info to cover acronyms and backgrounds on things.
> 
> The movie references are attributed to Braveheart.
> 
> The "Furd" - Nick's truck is loosely based off an 1977 Ford F-150 extended cab.
> 
> ZDF/ZSDF - Zootopian Self-Defense Forces (used interchangeably).
> 
> ZDWF - Zootopian Wildlife & Fisheries, who oversee the hunting of wild gamebirds and fishing. Sometimes referred to as: “Fish and Game” or “Fish and Wildlife” or “DWF/DFW. There are four separate divisions within: Fisheries (including Hatcheries), Wildlife (firearms and archery hunting), Education (handles classes and permitting), and Enforcement (enforces proper conduct and poaching prevention [in America, you’ll see these officers referred to as “fish cops” on occasion]). Another note is that U.S. state enforcement branches of DWFs have jurisdictional powers that would be equivalent to the State Police. In this case, they’re somewhat of a wildcard enforcement agency because Zootopia is more of a Semi-Autonomous Region as opposed to being a city within a state or province of a nation. So, technically, they wield more power than the ZPD. The reason why is to more easily cross between district boundaries to catch poachers: namely in the Rainforest District due to the easy nature of evasion on the various tributaries.
> 
> Mud cat - A “mud catfish” is used sometimes when referring to a bullhead catfish. They’re easily discerned from channel or blue catfish.
> 
> “Decked / dressed to the Nines” - For the Non-English speakers, this phrase means to be dressed up very efficaciously or more simply: “to go all out”.
> 
> More of the story to come!


	6. Inundated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More backstory, filler, a little fluff, and friendly conversations.

The Bullpen briefing had passed the todd by on Monday. After being designated for the daily patrol in Sahara Squad, Nick had been summoned to the Chief’s office for a status report. He had to report that there was no definitive update to his condition over the weekend. The todd did not have to report a change in his residency as that was a clerical change to be made with Mammal Resources. Bogo’s decision to put him standard patrols for a half week was a surprise. The buffalo wanted to see how Nick did on normal patrols before giving him a bit more time off. The move was decided under the guise of allowing another patrol more time in the field at the end of the week. The plan ended up changing when Wolford did not make it on Wednesday. Nick was subsequently sent home at noon and Judy was placed with Fangmeyer for the remainder of the shift.

Overall, the week had not gone quite as Nick had thought it would. The two days of patrol were plagued by a lack of sleep for him. He was due for another consultation on Sunday, so the todd was efficaciously taking notes in a ledger that he had. The ledger was filled with pages and pages of unfinished lyrical endeavors, so a couple of pages here and there could be used for medical purposes. Nick had to admit that he was not really cut out for song writing, but the nagging feeling to do so regardless forced his paw.

Nick had returned home, made lunch, and took up his usual electric guitar to begin practicing. The hours had burned by him while he listened to the sound of the guitar through the headset that was jacked into the body of the guitar. Nick felt the groan he let out, as opposed to hearing it, upon striking the wrong string.

 _Unfortunately, tomorrow’s set had to be pushed back,_ He thought to himself.

Pulling the headset away, the todd quickly plugged in his amplifier and set the distortions accordingly. He could hear the music in his headset, but Nick needed to feel like he was surrounded by the sound, so he turned up the volume slightly louder than what was probably wise. Judy was not home, but that did not mean he wouldn’t potentially anger a neighbor. He actually wished that Randy was there to back him up on the guitars. The bobcat loved playing support for Pawtera’s _Floods_ as much as Nick loved doing the solo and outro pieces.

[[Solo / Outro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPOSEf-5W-w)]

While stepping back from the amp, he brought his paw through on a slow slide-down of the neck before opening up with the G8. The sound instantly screamed throughout the room and it caused Nick to grin to himself. He had never been able to play with an amp in his old apartment.

 _But, someone’s_ definitely _going to be calling the cops…_

The worry did not stay his paws, though. Closing his eyes, Nick’s left paw held the notes is proper fashion while the right brought a sailing pick through the strings. Now, Nick could feel the music. The wailing of the strings through the amp caused his loose clothing to vibrate against his fur as he made his way through the crescendo. Letting the sound wane into the outro portion, Nick was so deep into it that he could hear the sound of thunder and heavy rain that had been on the original track.

After extending the outro for a bit, Nick stilled the strings while letting out a breath that he had been holding. He imagined that if he had grown up playing video games in his youth that he would have played the ballad during crucial boss fights that might have struck a chord with him. So, he continued the trend of parting-ways music by tuning up Black Label Society’s _Farewell Ballad_.

[[Guitar Solo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soYrn1IfeBo)]

Again, he closed his eyes. Nick’s fingers and pick had to worked harder to keep up with the faster, but more mellow tune that was in his head. It was a piece that, if he ever dared to, Nick wanted to play at his father’s resting site. The todd had never been able to give his father a proper send-off in his own way. The graveyard was almost always busy with mammals paying their respects to loved ones and Nick had never wanted to impose with such a display. He also never felt that an acoustic would convey the necessary emotion: so, Nick continued to hold off.

The distraction of his thoughts had brought him to the end of the solo cleanly and the todd decided that he had probably pissed the neighbors off enough. Quietly, he unplugged the guitar and hung it up on the wall. When Nick turned around to grab his amp, he found Judy leaned up against the living room entryway with a grin on her face. She was wearing her plain clothes: having changed in the department locker rooms. While Nick’s mind was not too badly startled, but his fur stood on end regardless.

“I knew the cops would show up.” Nick said awkwardly.

“Sir. I’m here because the department received a noise complaint.” Judy snarked.

“Shit.”

Judy laughed shortly. “Don’t worry, Slick. It’s after five and I couldn’t hear anything until I got to the door anyway.” She explained with a smile, setting her bag down as she came in properly. “The neighbors did just get home and they complimented you, though. They said the first song was quite a bit louder and didn’t get a chance to hear the second.”

“Double shit.” He muttered with a shrug.

Setting the amp down near the corner, Nick began rolling up the cords and put them away as well. The todd had not seen or met the neighbors yet due to their work schedules, but he imagined that it would eventually be rectified soon. In the meantime, Nick did in fact notice that the darkness was catching the city rather quickly as he made his way into the kitchen to join the doe.

“How’d it go today?” Nick inquired.

Judy giggled at that. “Fangmeyer was moping about Wolford being away. Other than that, it was a quiet day of patrol. What about for you, lazy bum?” Judy asked, washing her paws in the sink.

“A little perturbed that I got sidelined.” Nick explained with a sigh.

After all the time spent with the department, Nick had grown accustomed to a steady structure in day-to-day activities. Suddenly having a portion of the day off, without prior planning for that time, tended to bother him.

“I have a couple of reports to write for Bogo by Friday, but I’ll do them tomorrow.” He continued. They included an official medical evaluation and traffic stop summary from the past Monday. He spotted the odd look that Judy was going him over the edge of the fridge door. “Sorry, Fluff. A couple of the guys had to take up additional shifts. We’re tentatively looking at Saturday, at this point, for the next practice.”

The sly todd watched as Judy’s mouth morphed between a small frown and a small grin. Her emotions were slowly swinging on a pendulum, end-to-end, and having been a grifter for so long, Nick could tell that there was a plot in the works. Unfortunately for Judy, Nick had been on edge for far too long to simply let her play it off. The topic would not escape him as his ears went alert just a moment before he spoke.

“And, just what is it that has your mind a-putterin’, Fluff?” He asked pointedly, taking on the air of a suspicious glare being directed the doe’s way.

It worked like a charm. Nick could even tell that the doe’s tail was more likely than not whirling around above her derriere. He expected to see her become embarrassed or perturbed by the thought of sharing, but that did not seem to be the case.

“Does that mean that you’ll be able to play more while I’m here?” She asked smally.

“I will be able to, yes. I need to rest now, though. It’s been a long day...” Nick said kindly, though his smile was waning. “I wasn’t expecting to get yanked off of duty.”

Nick lost sight of the doe for a moment, amidst the sound of pattering paws, and was struck in the side by a collided gray fluffball. Judy had run around the table to hug him vigorously, rubbing her face back and forth against his shirt. Having grown quite used to the differences in lapine culture, Nick returned the kindness while rubbing her head fondly.

“Sorry, Fluff. I’m just feeling off today.”

Judy looked up from his shirt with a soft look. “You haven’t been sleeping, have you?” She spoke. It sounded more like a statement than a question.

“Only a pawful each night since the other day.” Nick admitted, unlatching the bunny so that he could start preparing dinner.

“Your eyes give you away, Slick.” Judy chuckled a bit.

The todd smiled with a shrug, working on ingredients for a stew while listening to Judy rustle around near the table. She was probably unloading her utility belt on the hat-rack. Nick knew that she was right. There were only a couple proper ways to see that a red fox was in a bad way. There were several factors around the eye-sockets that would give it away. That was not seen first, though. Most mammals noticed a fox on their last legs, either psychologically or physically, through the condition of their fur and even more specifically how their tails were kept.

“My eyes? Or, just my face?” He wondered aloud.

And, with a flop, Judy’s ears fell in the way so that Nick could only view small portions of her white facial accents. Once the bunny brushed those soft gray ears away, Judy could be seen very clearly. The amethyst-color in her eyes was hardened in the light from the room.

“Your face, I guess. You don’t let other mammals read you like I can. These days, you always have this glint like you’re distracted. And, you get these rings around your eyes that darken as the day progresses.” The doe explained.

Nick pulled his phone out and took a picture of himself. The information was not misleading and so he pocketed his phone as easily as pickpocketing someone. He was surprised by how dark they had looked despite the brightness within the kitchen and he continued making dinner regardless.

“You just open the Book of Nick to look at the pictures, don’t you?” He said with a wise chuckle.

Judy promptly walked over and boxed him in the arm firmly. Nick retaliated by flicking a little of the stew at her with a grin. He had decided to refrain from withholding food from the doe despite her tomfoolery.

“Who else is going to keep an eye on you, though?” Judy asked happily.

“As my partner, you’re kind of obligated.” Nick said with a grin, sweeping a thumb along his jaw until he gave her a thumbs-up.

“Of course, I would watch you back, dumb fox. And, not just because you’re my partner on the force.” Judy commented confidently. “But, I’ve been meaning to ask you. We’re rolling into the holidays soon. Do you celebrate things like Halloween and Thanksgiving in your culture?”

The inquiry caught Nick off-guard a bit because Judy had always returned to Bunnyburrow for the Christmas season and they had worked the Halloweens and Thanksgivings. Nick had done what he could for those two, but it was pretty limited due to the hours.

“I guess, I used to choose a random place to visit for Halloweens. Being too old to participate, I explored how other species did it. It’s a pretty big deal in some other fox-specific locals outside of the city, though. But, I didn’t do much for Thanksgiving. It was a thing at the Big residence, but outside of that time under his employ, I didn’t have anybody to celebrate it with. Same with Christmas really.” Nick explained, thinking back, while he began cooking the stew.

He caught the look of sadness on her face from the corner of his eye. Nick had to guess that she expected the answer to be just that. In an instant, that changed. The doe became excited with whatever it was that she was planning.

“So, then, you’ll take me with you for Halloween. We’ll celebrate Thanksgiving together here in the new house! And, then, you’ll accompany me to Bunnyburrow for Christmas!” Judy exclaimed, growing more excited by the moment.

“Well, it depends on work, of course. And, if your parents’ consent to having the ‘big bad fox’ in the Burrow.” Nick said with a chuckle, using a wooden spoon to stir the pot. It was a plain potato stew that he was thinking about adding chicken to once Judy had already her share.

“We have the time saved up, so even if we don’t get Halloween and Thanksgiving off, we’ll take a little extra time off for Christmas and New Year’s. My mother and father have been saying they’ve been meaning to properly meet you, seeing as they didn’t get a good opportunity at the concert back then. So, you’re coming along. And, I’ll deal with Bogo.” Judy said, fist pumping into the air dramatically.

Nick laughed it off before he began to ladle the finished product into a couple of bowls. The todd decided that it was not going to have chicken for him tonight, so he settled on the potato stew. It would not be long before he headed to bed.

“I certainly wish you luck with taming Buffalo Butt, Carrots.” He mentioned, passing her a bowl and a spoon.

“Oooh! What is this?” Judy asked, looking at the food.

“Potato soup. Simple, for good for the winter months. I’ll make a much larger batch later on if you like it. And, we can mix whatever into it. I usually add chicken to it, but I don’t think you’d like that all that much.” Nick explained.

The duo began to chow down, Nick noticing that Judy seemed to be ecstatic about the taste and texture of the potatoes and broth. The doe finished quickly and leaned over the table to ladle more of the food into her booth, nearly twice as much as what Nick had originally given her. Noticing that the todd was watching her with a raised brow, Judy shot him a big grin and a thumbs-up. A few moments of silence past before Nick’s phone went off, giving an alert to a text message. He thumbed it open and found Wolford’s message.

_“Turn on the news. Bogo’s giving a conference with the mayor.”_

Nick reached over the table to grab the remote for the kitchen’s small television and turned it to the local ZNN channel. Surprised by the todd’s sudden actions, Judy turned to watch and they both found the Chief at the podium within Precinct-1. The scrolling ticker at the bottom read: “Chief of Police to give update on Nighthowler findings”. Nick’s eyes widened a little from the surprise. There had been no notice to the department that such an event was taking place, after all. With Judy at rapt attention, Nick had to use the remote to part her ears so that he could see better, as she was sitting between him and the television. He then pulled his phone up to fire off a text to Dave, knowing that wolf would want to see it.

“Here it is…” Nick muttered.

The buffalo had affixed his glasses firmly on the bridge of his nose before looking up from the stack of papers on the lectern. The mayor was standing nearby and slightly behind Bogo: a large black jaguar wearing a rather sharp suit. It caused Nick to wrack his brain to remember the fellow’s name.

 _“Ladies and gentlemammals, I’d first like to thank you all for meeting with us at this late of an hour. Mayor Dwayne Silas has joined me this evening to share with you all an update on the findings regarding the Nighthowler Serum. To preface this, I will mention that there will be no questions taken at this time. So, let’s begin,”_ Bogo said firmly, the weight of his tough words hammering home the final comment solidly.

 _“It has been brought to our attention, within the last several months, that there were developments in the research of the Nighthowler Serum. We have kept this information from the public to further the necessary tests so as to confirm the data that had originally been found. Our scientists, in conjunction with personnel from Zootopian General, have confirmed that_ all _encounters with_ Midnicampum holicithias _will produce some degree of what is referred to as a ‘savage’ nature.”_ Bogo paused to let it sink in, though Nick knew that he was going to reiterate as if he was using crayons on paper for the illiterates. _“Let me repeat that. There is not a mammal standing before me that is exempt from those rules. Predators were specifically chosen for the purpose of sowing distrust within the mammals of Zootopia. Former Mayor Bellwether’s group were counting on the fear and the bigotry to accomplish whatever sick, endgame that they had planned. But, there is not one prey mammal here that would have escaped the wrath of one of those pellets. Not even me.”_

Nick shook his head as the auditorium devolved into pandemonium from the Chief’s words. Dozens of prey mammals were shouting in angry disbelief, challenging and screaming questions at the large water buffalo. Not even the scowl, which had always silenced the bullpen, was working on the press. The todd was sure that Bogo was about to lose his cool when the Mayor patted him on the shoulder to take the reins. Once the jaguar had stepped up to the lectern, the crowd quieted down.

 _“I need everyone here and watching on television to understand this.”_ Silas spoke harshly, raising a paw to silence the crowd fully. _“As you all likely remember, it is forbidden to test on living subjects – even if they are a volunteer to the program – in the city of Zootopia. That meant that an untold number of hours had to be expended, by many mammals, to confirm the information that originally brought on the suspicion. Since that time, I worked paw-in-paw with the Zootopian Bureau of Investigation to seek out similar cases from outside counties. Everyone worked diligently to ensure a solid report was given to you all when the time came and it was my decision, and with my position, which made sure that it was kept from you until that time had arrived._

Black-socked paws brought Nick to bear before moving him over to the cabinet where his medication was stored. There was a sense of relief that the news had finally been made public by both the Chief and the new mayor. That feeling brought forth a desire and demand to sleep. It was the first time in a long time that Nick felt like sleep would be a good thing. He was not even worried about the threat of the darkness in the moment.

Nick swallowed down some water with the pill before setting the glass in the sink. He would take care of the dishes later. The lid went on the pot and the stove was turned off fully before he walked past Judy; gently ruffling her ears as he went by. She had been paying extreme attention to the report on the television and had not noticed the todd puttering about.

“Good night, Carrots. I’ll see you after your shift.” He said quietly, padding off into the darkness of the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~

Nick greeted the morning rays of sun with a scowl as he drank his morning coffee. He had not been able to get to sleep until near midnight and woke up not long after Judy left for work. The only thing that was good about this particular morning was the warmth that the sun brought. It did not cut through the sense of dread that being awake that early always carried. The living room television was blaring out a recap of the past night’s press conference: only offering speculations for a number of points. The only restful bit of information was that the press conference had been given in the first place. It put the idea that the Chief and the new mayor might have been in on a future plot to rest. If any mammal was involved in something yet to happen, it would be one of the underlings to the investigation.

 _But, that’s all a conspiracy theory,_ Nick thought.

He continued to glare out at the horizon, through the window, with ears pinned back in discomfort. Nick did not usually push himself to face the sun like this and his eyes were taking the brunt of the painful effects. The coffee did smell nice, though. He knew that it would be enough to fuel him until he ate. After downing the cup and putting on his jacket, Nick took to the streets. In the due course of time, he found himself sitting at a booth within Kendra’s Coffee again. Making sure to alert the staff with the bell properly this time, of course.

Angela must have noticed that Nick was not in the mood to chat because the vixen quietly took his order and left him to his thoughts. The todd did not know for sure but was confident that they had played the recording - that Judy had made that night - on the news. It had to have been the case due to the look on the young lady’s face. The networks had never done Nick the courtesy of omitting the first five-minutes of his savage state. The earliest of reports could still be found on Ewetube, featuring all seventeen-minutes of the post-shooting audio in its entirety. After Nick had awoken, he ended up finding it by accident while surfing the web late at night. It had been the first time that he had broken down that badly since his father’s funeral.

Turning his focus to the sun again, Nick closed his eyes tightly and did his best to tune out Judy’s screaming and his own guttural sounds from that night. They were bad enough in his nightmares. He did not want to think about that recording while he was awake. A sudden gust of air brought his eyes back up to find that the coffee he had ordered was sitting at the table and so to was Dave Mingan.

“You look like shit, Dave.” Nick said with a lopsided grin.

“Look who’s talking… You look like you got about as much sleep as I did.” The wolf replied coolly.

“Rory’s going to be pissed you didn’t bring her along to her favorite diner.” The todd commented, looking around to see a lack of Dave’s partner in their presence.

“She had the morning shift,” Dave nodded. “Kind of like your little gal, huh?”

With a humored shake of his head, Nick grunted into his coffee. Angela brought over another coffee while eyeing the wolf closely, no doubt recognizing the familiar face as easily as Nick’s. It was absolutely the worst way to be recognized in the city; and, worse for the wolf comparatively. The one difference between Dave’s case, versus the other Nighthowler victims, was that he was one of only two of those victims who ended up killing another mammal in their savage state. Nick had not reminded Judy of those two mammals, not knowing how to explain it to her that Dave had been one of them. She did not seem to recollect that information and Nick knew that it would cause an issue later. But, it was not his place to be the reminder. The two predators gave Angela their breakfast order and waited for the vixen to reenter the back room.

“The doc called me in over the weekend. Said they wanted to put me on a new medication to run some data points.” Dave explained.

The todd chuckled a bit. “They needed a second set of data points, then?” He implied, knowing what was going on.

Dave nodded and spoke again. “They said you finally came around to asking about the meds, so I figured I wouldn’t let you do it alone.” The wolf took up his larger cup of coffee and drank from it slowly.

“How’s it going for you?” The todd inquired simply.

“Less dreams, but it’s been rough on the sleep pattern.”

It was Nick’s turn to visually confirm this time. “Same.” He muttered into the coffee. “Ended up getting another long weekend out of it, for what it was worth.”

“Yeah. I don’t imagine last night helped either…” Dave explained, grunting as he rolled his shoulders to loosen the muscles.

“I didn’t watch it all. I knew it would turn into a fucking ostrich wrangle.” Nick chuckled.

The wolf laughed lightly at that. “Randy implied much of the same when he called me. I figure he’d be the one to know…” He commented.

Nick looked up at the wolf for a moment. “How are the pack politics going?” The todd questioned, changing the topic.

“I imagine that they have a lot to talk about at the council meeting today.” Dave said with another laugh.

“And, Rory?”

The grin on the wolf’s face grew sheepish as he began reminiscing about the past nights. Dave caught on to the fact that Nick’s eyes flicked from him to the back room before returning; deciding to remain quiet until their food was laid before them on the table. The marble fox quietly laid everything out, including the additional condiments and topping off their coffees, before retreating again. There were things that Angela did not need to be involved in and the two larger predators were thankful for the silence from her.

“She’s got a way to get me out of my head.” Dave commented simply, tucking into his food.

“A _whet-stone_ on a _broad-sword_ , huh?” Nick countered lewdly.

Dave began coughing and hacking at the comment, clearing his windpipe while shaking his head fiercely. Nick took that time to grin while munching on some of his crispy turkey strips.

“You’re fucking disgusting, brother.” Dave said, finally able to laugh it off.

Nick gave a heavy shrug of disagreement while he swallowed some more coffee. “I’m just happy to know that the new Mingan pack will be prosperous with such a dedicated _swords-mammal_ at the helm.” He laughed out loud. “You better make sure that I get an invite to the wedding, mind you.”

Dave was rolling by that point, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.

“We’ll see how the council feels about this arrangement of ours. But, if it happens… Will you be bringing a special somebody as your plus-one? I imagine that Rory would arrange it so that yours would catch the bouquet.” He countered pointedly.

Nick did not even stifle the scoff that came out. “You’re assuming that she’d have me.” He said.

The wolf smiled at the statement, which surprised Nick a little bit, before he began tapping the bridge of his long nose.

“If I have any information to go by, I’d say that she’s already got a hold of you.” He said with a deep chuckle. “You smell like a fluffle of one has just laid on you.”

“My tail’s been abducted a couple of times.” Nick admitted.

Of course, Nick was nose-blind to Judy’s scent and it made him shake his head with a grin. Once their plates were clean, they were stacked at the head of the table and the coffees were drunk in silence. Dave checked a message on his phone for a moment before looking back up and rubbing his face.

“Are we still good for Saturday?” Nick asked.

“So far. I think John’s been really busy with work.” Dave replied before standing up, throwing down a bit of money on the table. “I’ll keep you apprised if I hear anything.”

“Just give me a call. Take care, Dave.” The todd waved prior to dropping the remainder of a bill down with a tip.

~~~~~~~~~

Across the city, to the north, Judy wielded a radar gun in the Meadowlands for senior Officer Fangmeyer. It was not often that the doe rode shotgun in a patrol vehicle to take care of the logistical nature of their duties. That was usually a certain russet fox’s job due to her seniority. It was getting later in the day and luckily all of the Zootopian citizens had been on their best behavior. Unfortunately, that meant a boring one overall for Judy Hopps. It was as Nick had always stated. If there was not a high-profile case in the works, the doe was bored out of her mind. It meant that the day’s usual patrols were spent as speed traps.

“So…” As with Judy’s boredom, so too came Officer Diana Fangmeyer’s. Along with the tigress’s needling. “Did the fair, foxy ancestor of the Sherwood Great kick you out of his fluffy bed recently?”

“Diane…” Judy responded sweetly, fluffing the leaves of a rather large carrot from her lunch. “I will give you a matching pair of nostril jewelry, in the form of large carrots, if you don’t stop this line of interrogation.”

The large tigress grinned over the steering wheel, still waiting for a blatant violation of the traffic laws. “Oh, dear Hopps, I was merely denoting the fact that there were a couple of specific days that a specific scent had spiked on you. But, _alas,_ not the scent of post-coital bliss.” Diane said with a growling chuckle.

The doe’s paw deftly flipped the carrot around and threw it like a javelin at the tigress’s muzzle. The carrot struck true and caused a yowl as the patrol vehicle rocked on its spring assembly. Diane looked over with a stern glare as Judy grinned, still staring out the windshield resolutely.

“I don’t want to hear a thing from a mammal that can’t even pick up one of Gazelle’s backup dancers because the scent of a certain _wolf_ lingers all over her own form.” Judy said sharply. “Especially when the air of this vehicle has a tinge of wanton desire at the mere mention of that other mammal.”

Diane simply chuffed, re-draping her upper torso on the steering wheel with a smile. “At least you’re starting to fit in around here, carrot farmer.” She joked.

“Of course, I’m fitting in, Miss Stripes. After all… I had to create a better intelligence network than what was even capable at the Department’s Rumor Mill.” Judy said with a gleeful laugh. “In case I ever had to fuel it myself…”

The look on Diane’s face was priceless. The promise, not a threat, of certain secrets being leaked to Clawhauser was something that the tigress had never anticipated Judy of being willing to do. And, _secrets?_ What did the doe know of, within Precinct-1, that had even escaped the Gossipmonger himself?

 _But, that means she’s confirmed her own desire… Right?_ Nadine thought quietly.

“Are you sure you aren’t related to Jack Savage, Judy?” The tigress chuckled uncomfortably.

“Who's to say that his caricature isn’t of me?” The doe asked sweetly, almost beginning to cackle maniacally.

Judy was content on letting her temporary partner mull the thought over for about ten-minutes. The radar gun continued to beep in the same boring fashion that it had all day; indicating that nothing was out of the norm on the roadway.

“Can we talk about this off the record then?” Diane asked, breaking the quiet of the vehicle with a hopeful air.

 _So, she’s still curious,_ Judy thought with an internal laugh.

“As long as you keep it in mind that the betting rosters will be updated appropriately if it’s not.” Judy said, looking over at the striped cat with a grin. The doe thought she saw a shiver course through the tiger’s body. Though, it was for not, Judy would never say anything about another mammal’s personal life.

“Did… did you make a move yet, Judy?” Diane inquired tentatively.

“No,” Judy responded softly, raising an upturned paw placatingly. “We’re two different species of mammals. _Very_ different. There’s a lot to learn and it will probably take some time.”

With an annoyed, waved paw, Diane spoke up. The tigress even sounded upset. “Or… You could say something like, _‘To the mulch patch with that idea’,_ and just wing it. It would be way more spontaneous like that. And, what happened to the headstrong, go-getter Judy Hopps?”

“You mean the one that’s repeatedly used your fluffy tail as a jump-rope in the ring?” The doe questioned sweetly.

The remainder of the shift went uneventful with the only two redeemers being that Diane had decided to leave Judy be after the threat of a fluffy butt-kicking and that there was only the minimal amount of paperwork required for reporting purposes. As a result, it did not leave the doe a lot of time to process the news from the night before or attempt to figure out if any of it needed to be discussed with Nick. But, she assumed by his response that he would not want to talk about it at all. Most likely because it was technically over.

 _If the issue isn’t dead, it will come around again later, I guess._ Judy thought, frowning a little. _Please, Serendipity, let it be over._

“Please. Let him rest.” She whispered before opening the front door to the house.

In the din of the falling sun and through the drawn drapes, Judy found Nick laid out on the couch fast asleep. She had known that he had not slept long the night before despite not having seen him prior leaving for work. Judy quietly set down her bag while watching the todd on the couch. Oddly enough, the Council was extremely quiet while she took in the sight. One thing that Judy knew of foxes was sleeping habits.

The sun accentuated the cream fur along the todd’s throat and made the orange seemingly glow against the darker green of the couch. Judy was worried because Nick was not curled in the usual “donut” that she swore indicated comfort for the todd. He was laid out on his side while his paws and ears twitched randomly. As Judy approached the edge of the couch, the sound of Nick’s thrumming heartbeat made it to her ears. Aside from that and his breathing, he was not growling or whining, but it was obvious that he was somewhere he did not want to be. Judy could not help but wish that he had been shirtless.

The doe quietly took her duty belt off before unclasping her individual body armor. Once those pieces were off, she unbuttoned her service shirt and removed that. Because the IBA was so constrictive, Judy had ditched wearing a normal bra for a full added layer by way of wearing a standard ZPD training shirt under the button-down work shirt. After her pockets were emptied, Judy crawled up into Nick’s reach. On the table, Judy had noticed that there were several forms, Nick’s laptop, and a leather-bound journal with some stationary materials. He had been working before falling asleep. As soon as the todd’s mind had queued up the knowledge that his partner was there, he began to curl around her. The doe took the time to carefully nudge him backwards so that none of his lower torso would threaten to spill off the edge.

Judy smiled as she heard Nick huff in annoyance of being moved around, but the sleeping todd complied with the prodding, nonetheless. After several minutes of waiting, Judy was fully encased within the donut. Nick’s head was wrapped around her back so that his snout was underneath her ears. With her head propped up, Judy was able to mess around on her phone while the tip of the todd’s tail – which was draped over her legs – flicked at a slower pace against her shoulder. The doe made sure to lower the volume on her phone and silence the ringer so that nothing would rudely awaken Nick while she surfed the internet.

It was still really early in the evening and a curiosity if Nick had already taken his prescription made its way into Judy’s mind. If so, exhaustion might have forced his paw into attempting to sleep regardless of the hour. In Judy’s case, she was not tired. There was nothing to be tired from, for her, during such a boring day of patrol. Nick would have been exhausted from running his maw telling jokes all day.

Judy laid back against Nick’s soft fur, becoming bored with the random news bits all over the Zoogle homepage. The ever-changing and darkening environment outside was far more interesting than the phone. This effort did not stop the phone from vibrating loudly in her lap: startling the doe due to the need to stay quiet. Trying not to jostle around too much, she grabbed the phone and held it up to minimize the surface area that the phone could make sound against. Her mother was calling. To Judy’s dismay twice-over, a low chuckle was felt in Nick’s chest.

“Is’ your parents, Fluff.” The todd huffed out through a yawn. “You can answer here, too. It won’t bother me. Just don’t scare the pellets out of them…”

Judy opened her mouth to argue as Nick unfurled a bit, moving his tail away, while not even cracking an eye. He was easing her access to an exit if she decided to move at all and emphasizing that she should take the call at the same time. The todd knew that the doe had missed their weekly call the week prior: probably because of her sleuthing. Presently… Judy was comfy, so she hit the voice-call only before putting the phone to her ear.

“Hi, mom.” She said quietly, watching as Nick’s tail came back within range and covered her legs again.

 _“Good evening, sweetie. I hope I’m not bothering you this evening. I know you were busy last week and all.”_ Her mother said sweetly. _“Your father is still out in the fields, so it’s just me.”_

“Not at all. I don’t have the lights on is all, so I apologize about a videocall.” Judy passed off a white lie with ease. “Nick fell asleep on the couch nearby, so I have to be quiet.”

She had hoped that her mother would not ask about that, but there was no such luck. As soon as Judy heard her mother’s sigh over the line, the doe began to fiddle with her ear in embarrassment. Nick was a gentlemammal, but there was no way he could ignore the conversation due to the proximity to his head. And, Judy knew there was no such luck in him being asleep again.

 _“You mentioned you were on a mission to figure out what he was doing. Did you figure it out? Is he alright, Judy?”_ Bonnie inquired worriedly.

“I…” Judy began, blushing a little. She did not want to air his private life like this. How much that had already been shared in the past about her _investigation_ was bad enough. But, the todd already knew that she could not and dared not outright lie to her parents. “I figured out what he was doing and why. Nick was sneaking off to play guitar with some predators. Sort off… In an effort to combat nightmares that he’d been having.”

 _“About the museum?”_ Bonnie asked with a sad tone.

Judy tugged at her ear again. “Yes, mom.” She said.

 _“How bad is it, darling?”_ Bonnie asked, growing resolute.

“He goes back to the pit nearly every night, mom.” Judy said quietly, starting to feel the emotions surfacing again.

 _“What do you mean? His consciousness was there for that?”_ Her mother asked, trying to wrap her mind around the statement.

“Yes. I was the most important mammal in the world to him, back then, and the worst fears played against him. The worst-case scenarios, which never happened, are… made real when he dreams.” Judy nodded absent-mindedly before rambling on. “I didn’t realize that it had been occurring since he woke up. Not until recently, anyway… He needs a break. I wanted to ask if I could bring him home for Christmas, mom. We’ve got all this PTO saved up. I need to talk to the Chief about it first, though.”

The line was quiet for a moment and the doe knew that her mother was processing all of it. Bonnie was no doubt thinking about how bad the museum could have gone. That worried Judy a little. Another moment passed with a hum from the other end.

 _“Take care of it with your boss and get as much time as you can, sweetheart. I will organize it with your father.”_ Bonnie said firmly. _“And, don’t take no for an answer from Nick. You’ve always described him as stubborn.”_

“I won’t, mom,” Judy chuckled softly, relieved that it would not be an issue. “He had to find a new place to live, so I made him move into a new place with me.”

Despite the surprised squeak that Judy heard, Bonnie’s voice remained firm.

 _“I take it that this was very recent.”_ Her mother commented.

“Yeah. He was going to leave as a ‘favor’ to the landlord… The nightmares weren’t quiet affairs… He was more concerned about what it was costing her as opposed to what it would cost him.” Judy muttered.

The doe nearly started as she felt Nick’s nose huff against the back of her neck in a quiet admonishment. The todd’s body could be felt on startup mode. He was not getting back to sleep at this rate. It was probably for the better. Judy wanted to make sure that he was able to sleep comfortably and the couch was not the place to do that.

 _“You drag him by his tie like you always do, Judy. I’m going to let you go. I’m going to call you back in two-days. You’ll have the time for me by then, right?”_ Her mother said softly.

Judy smiled a bit at that, listening to Nick chuckle while his joints began to pop from his stretching out.

“I will. I love you, mom.” Judy replied happily.

 _“I love you, too. Give my best to Nick. Good night.”_ Bonnie said with an equally happy fervor before hanging up the phone.

Judy sat up to put her phone down on the table, listening as Nick he began stretching his shoulders. There was a low growl from the todd as his joints creaked and popped. The doe could not help her ears as they swiveled to listen to the sound. It was not like that of what she heard at the museum. It was kind of… tantalizing to hear.

“So, your mother taught you well. She taught you the tie thing.” Nick whispered with a chuckle.

Judy laughed, turning her head to find Nick resting his head on his paws. He was watching her with a lazy and tired grin.

“I learned that on the fly. I had a wise and sly teacher.” Judy said, sticking her tongue out at the todd.

“Well, your mother sounds like a very decent mammal. It will be a pleasure to meet your parents properly.” Nick complimented softly. “There are things that will need to be explained to them.”

“Are you worried?” Judy asked seriously.

“They’ll be worried. And, that warrants some concern, yes.” The todd said, frowning a bit.

Judy reached out and brushed a paw along Nick’s snout reassuringly. It was not often that worry would roll off of Nick like drops of rain flowing over his fur. Even less often that it was even seen in the first place. Judy had told her mother no lies: the doe was the most important mammal in Nick’s life. To expand on that and to go way beyond his old rules, Nick would sacrifice everything on his end for her. That’s how much she meant to him, it seemed. And, that meant so much to Judy despite that depth not being necessary.

“My parents have heard every case that ended up going sideways. Every time I saved your butt. And, every time you saved mine. You have nothing to be worried about because you’re welcome. They consider you family.” Judy explained firmly. “Now, I need to get cleaned up. Go take your prescription, if you haven’t, and get in bed. I know you didn't sleep well last night.”

“How would you know that?” Nick chuckled.

“You’re not as sneaky as you used to be around me, Slick.” She giggled. “All those ‘midnight snacks’ that you go for.”

“Stalker much?” Nick snipped with a grin.

Judy stuck her tongue out again, noting that Nick became distracted by the sight with flickering eyes momentarily. Stalking away from the living room, the doe proceeded to head for the bathroom. A quick shower and a change of clothes later, Judy wandered back downstairs for a quick snack. Dinner was a foregone issue for the night. Nick had probably eaten, and she would seek out a proper breakfast prior work in the morning. She gathered up a couple of baby carrots in a bowl before heading back upstairs to tuck in for the evening.

 _Yeah… You want to go curl up with a certain fox’s tail,_ the Rebel noted. And, it was true. _He's clearly interested._

At the top of the stairs, she looked at the partially opened door to Nick’s room. The light was still on inside. The desire to go to him was so strong within her. The doe looked on for another moment but turned to head to her bedroom silently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, I ride forth into this story still.


	7. Drowned In The Riff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Mine was alright.
> 
> I do highly suggest taking a look at each of the songs to get a better feel for where the emotions of the characters stem from and bleed into. They do speak a little to the backgrounds, history, and current mindset of each of them. So, without further ado, here's C7.

The Chief’s office was timeless, like a picture that was taken of itself, and had not changed much at all since the first time Judy had been inside. It had not meaningfully changed on this Friday or the last. The doe did notice that Bogo had a bottle of bourbon sitting on the table near the window. The desk also held some knick-knacks, family pictures, and framed commendations. It must have been a long and arduous process to make the press release happen in the fashion that it had. The buffalo in question sat before her, not having even looked up or spoken a word since calling her in, as he poured over the paperwork on the table.

The doe had been called in late on her off-day and it was uncharacteristic. Granted, she was going to head over to talk to Bogo about the time off regardless, but it was so late now that Judy was worried about making it to the stillhouse to see the band play.

“My answer is yes.” Bogo said without looking up.

“Sir?” She asked, surprised by the suddenness of his voice. “I haven’t even explained anything…”

“You want to use your PTO to take Wilde to the sticks for Christmas. You’re here because he’s not doing better, but he isn’t exactly doing worse.” Bogo explained, finally putting his pen down and looking up through his spectacles. “And, you need the time by the look of it.”

“Sir?” Judy repeated, tilting her head in confusion.

“Hopps, you haven’t looked well-rested in weeks. Probably due to your off-the-books investigation…” Bogo said, his mouth momentarily pulling into a knowing grin. “So, the two of you are off for Christmas and New Year’s. Two weeks. Slightly more, actually, due to the way that I’ve structured it between the weekends. I assume you’ll leave after shift on the Eighteenth and be back around the Fourth. And… I’m not scheduling you for Thanksgiving either. You should take Wilde for that weekend: from post-shift on the Twenty-Fourth to that next Monday. Both of you worked the holidays in the last two-years and we have several mammals who want the OT this time around.”

Judy Hopps, who was normally acclimated to on-the-fly decisions, was extremely dumbfounded by all of this information. And, embarrassed that the Chief knew of her other “work”.

 _Not that I should be surprised. Nick knows everyone and the Chief knows everything,_ Judy thought seriously.

“Thank you, Sir.” Judy conceded awkwardly, eyeing him a bit.

Bogo sat back in his large chair while watching the doe, as well. The gears were turning in both of their minds and they both knew that it was not Judy’s place to speak despite a rampant desire to ask questions.

“Hopps, I have three pairs of patrol-mammals that are my go-to teams. You should think of them as specialized infantry units in contrast to detective teams, SWAT, and TUSK. Patrol has a broader jurisdiction and detective units are refinements on that. You and Wilde are one of those three teams. Wolford and McHorn lead the other two,” Bogo began, taking his hoof and removing the glasses prior to rubbing his face. “But, there’s an entirely different dynamic with you and Wilde. The experiences, background, drives, and histories compiled into something far less procedural than what I see from the other two teams. Unfortunately, I’ve seen you two burn-out far more quickly and often than them. Because, on top of what I ask of you both, you – Hopps – are capable of correctly reading into the smallest of _nothings_ and find some of the biggest _somethings_. And, Wilde’s knowledge of the Zootopian residents leads to the cases, which you unearth, being closed quickly. The two of you tie everything together. It prevents crime nicely, but it creates a vaster workload to deal with…

“The two of you act as if you need to take on the world by yourselves. And, neither of you have properly processed the incident in the pit... Despite the time that's past.” The water buffalo said gruffly, leaning further back into his reclining office chair. “You, Hopps, have pushed it aside so completely that you don’t even realize the magnitude of the truck that might be bearing down on you. On the other hoof, Wilde has seen things in his past and the issues he faces now are compounded by them. The paperwork has already been handled.

“You’re both on standard patrols, assignments doled out in the mornings as per the norm, until Thanksgiving. Assuming there isn’t a big case that comes up.” Bogo finalized firmly. “And, Hopps… Any assumed criminal activity that you might see? It’s to be reported to Clawhauser for retasking. I need the new officers as experienced as the rest of the department and their FTOs need the time in to stay sharp. You are not to pursue any hunches until I say otherwise. Am I crystal clear on that?”

Judy nodded firmly. “Yes, Sir!” She replied.

“Good. I’ll see you and Wilde on Monday. Dismissed.” Bogo said, waving a dismissive hoof.

Judy jumped off the chair and headed out of the building with a hustling vigor. Pulling out her phone, the doe fired of a text to her mother with the details and a promise that she would call the next day.

~~~~~~~~~

Mimi’s Stillhouse was a hive of activity, a stark contrast to the first time Judy had been inside the previous Wednesday. Predators of all species were in the establishment for a good time. The doe walked in with a slight trepidation, clenching at the hearing protection case nervously, as she carefully surveyed the room for Nick. The todd was not on stage, oddly enough, but at the bar. He was loading up a serving tray before slyly meandering up to the front. Judy hustled, while shooting a wave at the gray fox bartender who had spotted her, and caught Nick as he approached a reserved table near the stage. John Dempsey was sitting at the table and immediately dove for a duke of beer that Nick had brought over.

“Nick!” Judy said loudly over the noise.

The todd turned around with a big grin to find the bunny lass giving him a happy little wave. Judy was surprised when Dave Mingan and Randy Phillips began playing their instruments. It made the doe look to the todd for an explanation. She wanted to see him play…

“Don’t worry, Fluff. Rory couldn’t make it and Dave always plays this first one when she’s working.” He said quickly.

“My fault.” John said, raising a quick paw while using the other to intimately assess the drink he had.

“It’s a busy holiday season, Johnny. It’s not your fault.” Nick said firmly. “Look at the bright side anyway. We get to torment the public with our covers.”

Of course, Nick tried to play it off as if he had not seen Judy glaring at him silently. Not everybody agreed that they played terribly, after all. The doe shot a glance up to watch the wolf on stage while taking a seat at the rear of the half-moon booth, so that she could see the stage perfectly. Dave and Randy synced up moments after the two finalized the tuning of their guitars: the wolf on an acoustic and the bobcat on the electric.

 _“[Ain't No Sunshine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIdnpjceg9A)...”_ Randy drawled into his microphone. "One, two, three, fooour…" His indication gave way to the acoustic while the bobcat accented the tone with the electric.

 _“Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone… It’s not warm when she’s away…”_ Dave sang lowly, flicking a thumb over the strings at the sound-hole.

Judy was floored by the sound of heartbreak in the wolf’s tone and how it was complimented by a sad upbeat nature of Randy’s electric guitar.

“Fuck,” John muttered at the table. “We need a violin for this one.”

Nick hummed in agreement, bobbing his head with the strumming of the electric guitar that he was usually on. It was quite amazing to watch the todd become enraptured by something.

 _Something that isn’t you. It’s annoying, but bless Serendipity because it’s hot,_ Judy’s inner Rebel sighed enthusiastically.

“You should have been on the electric. Randy should be on the drums.” Nick admitted deeply.

 _“Fuuuuck..!”_ The otter practically snarled his admiration. “Can’t you play the sax, Nick?”

Judy went round-eyed while her face snapped back to the conversation. The todd was face was encased with a fanged grin, such unobstructed happiness with the grimy din of the lights above, while those same lights accented his slitted pupils. This was the most that Judy had ever seen Nick alive since before the pit and it made the doe practically vibrate in her seat with happiness.

“They don’t have one for us to use,” Nick said softly. “I mean, are you imagining what I am? We’d need a fifth on a harm’ though…”

“Bill Withers meets the lost, lovin’ soul of Nawlins… mixed with that heart-broken angst of the Shawn James tones and guitar pickin’ like that of Black Label Society. I mean, Lion Christ… That’s just on least of the reactionary musical statements. Imagine if we had that setup and _turned it loose._ Just lost ourselves to it, y’know?” John muttered his thoughts.

The interactions were so interesting despite Judy having every right to be madder than a mammal whose movie was interrupted by a rude patron on a cellphone. The music was solid, and the argument made her head spin with interest.

 _“I know, I know, I know… ’Ey, Lord! Leave the young thing alone!”_ Dave nearly bellowed; the depth of loss so clear in his shout.

“He _rarely_ gets to play this one, though. I mean, you don’t need to justify the reason why I need to buy a sax, but damn. How often would I get to use it?” Nick complained wistfully, not even looking down to collect a folded piece of paper which he ended up passing to Judy across the table. She opened it quickly to find Nick’s script in the groups setlist.

“So, you’re telling me that that idea doesn’t _fuck_ in your mind?” John inquired drily.

The todd missed nothing when Judy’s ears shot up in surprise. There was no doubt that the doe was not used to such emotions, being laid in their barest of forms, spoken off of one’s tongue. To let something like that slip past the lips so blatantly was likely akin to heresy itself where Judy was from. It was _not_ polite. It was not _supposed to be_ either. The point was to convey sentiment and emotion. To specifically accentuate the stark contrast between both definitions even.

“No, John. I’m not saying that there isn’t a _ceaseless intimacy_ in the idea itself. I can see that you have this song set in seven different formats already.” Nick chuckled. “You’re talking about something of a twelve-minute song just in all the instrumental sections.”

“Exactly!” John said with a gleam in his eyes, downing the dregs of the duke before him.

Judy was about to interject but stopped when Nick threw her a winning grin and stood from the edge of the booth. The otter practically slow-mo vaulted himself over the table, from the near center of the booth, without a care in the world. The doe had forgotten that the music was a timer of sorts and the song was not far from being complete. The otter rolled up onto the stage before Nick had even gotten close. The todd decided to take a smooth leap onto the right side of the stage, walking past the staged musicians to get to his instrument.

The crowd held a quiet confusion behind Judy and she, herself, nearly offered a resounding objection to the fact that Nick was taking a seat behind the drums at the rear-center of the stage. She wanted to see him on the guitars, dammit. Everybody else did not have a clue why random mammals were being allowed to “crash the party”, so to speak. It had not clicked in their minds that the initial two band-members had resisted the maneuvers. And, the music slowed to a halt.

 _“[Full Moon Risin’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBVnfMn_GwA)_… Hississippi Bones.” Randy’s voice reverberated through the speakers.

Judy watched as Nick pointed to his ear with a kind smile, indicating that she had better hurry up and put her hearing protection in. She almost jumped out of her seat to get the case and buds out. Just as she had fitted the left module, Nick and Randy crashed into the stillhouse in tandem. Dave’s voice accentuated the instruments with a level dominance: singing about an entity, of an ethereal nature, that was encircling a victim.

There was such a baser, animalistic nature about it. And, that did not even cover the fact that it seemed so speciest to wolves. Full moons, dead lambs, and transformations…

_“Now I’m down on all fours,  
As a I hit the floor,  
Temperature’s risin’,  
Blood’s boilin’ to the core!”_

Dave Mingan held nothing in reserve as he sang into the microphone: matching the emotional sentiment to the heaviness of the instruments. The simple acoustic guitar had been slung behind him while he focused on the vocals of the tune.

_“Woke up in a hospital bed, with a lump on my head,  
And scratches up and down my chest,  
Hallucinations of the livin’ dead… They come to me and said;  
They put a bullet in my head.  
This transformation’s such a terrible thing…  
My body aches and screams as the beast is unleashed,  
As the full moon rises!”_

The todd’s frame was ridged as his head bobbed ever-so slightly, arms slinging the sticks in a matched grip despite the firmness in his facial features. Judy swore that he had taken a split second to grin and shoot her a wink.

_“Now, I’m on the prowl and, boy, you better watch out when you hear me howl!  
I said, awwwhhooWHOO!”_

All Hell broke loose in the stillhouse. Dave Mingan hunched over the microphone stand in an effort to convey every fiber of emotion in his howl while the other three band-members worked the back-up vocals. There had to have been several wolves and two dozen other canines in the crowd who all joined in on the howl within the bar. The poor doe could only hope that nobody, with a complaint, recognized her as law enforcement while she pulled on the ends of her ears in irritation. All the while, Nicholas Wilde had the sharpest of grins on his muzzle as he continued.

_“Reports are coming in!  
Cops are on the scene!  
It’s a hairy situation,  
If you know what I mean!”_

Judy was absolutely amazed.

 _And, embarrassedfrustratedGAH!_ She shouted internally.

Judy never thought that she would see the day where the todd would look smugger than the time when she walked into the wet cement. But, there he was. On stage, internally joking about law enforcement being on the scene of an illegal howl and how he was not going to lift a finger past assisting in the act itself.

A few moments later, the music stopped, and the musicians seemingly switched positions within any further prompting. The patrons within the bar were hooting and clapping for the band on stage to continue. Dave removed the acoustic guitar from his back and passed it off to John while Randy and Dave switched instruments. Nick began playing the electric in a methodically loop while he waited for the rest of the group to get set. Judy knew the song. It was [_Blackened Waters_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjtVDzNhh6o) by Black Label Society. Less than 30-seconds later, Randy hammered on the tom-toms before Nick crashed in with the full whining depths of his guitar.

Nick had played the song on the Bluetooth within the cruiser on occasion, so it was a familiar tune. It was actually a song that had always seemed to be important to him… which made it easy to pour her focus into watching Nick as he played the guitar. The cuffs of the todd’s black button-down shirt were undone and tightly rolled midway up his forearms. Judy had missed whether or not the top-most button on it had come undone in his elevating enthusiasm or if he had undone it earlier without her noticing.

The lights above accentuated every bit of his russet fur that could be seen despite the shirt. And, now that she was close enough to the stage, it could also be seen that he was quickly becoming inundated from the heat. Little beads of sweat were glistening off of the tips of his facial and chest fur. He _hated_ that because it was accompanied by a heavier fox musk. On the other paw, he looked so _happy_ dealing with it to play the music.

 _Of course, one particular fluff-butt adores that scent of foxy_ predator _and violets,_ the Rebel heckled from the back of her mind.

It was embarrassing to admit that she ended up missing the next song entirely:[ _This Night_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRBzcggoWl0) by Black Lab. It was not until Randy gave the call out for the follow-up that she had noticed at all.

 _“[Sail into the Black](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfIPD6zieCo)…_ Machine Head.” The bobcat said deeply, slicking his headfur back.

Judy’s eyes had blinked quickly, refocusing on the todd standing on his left-side of the stage. He was not far away physically, but he was on an entirely different planet due to the music. Standing close in front of his microphone, Nick was clearly listening to Dave’s guttural chant while unfastening another button on his shirt. Quickly, he re-rolled his sleeves and swung his guitar to bear. Judy could tell there was a missing instrument or two, but John was doing a good job covering with nothing more than an acoustic guitar while Dave gently led the crowd through the lyrics.

The backup vocals faded and so too did the instruments, Dave’s work was done for a moment and he took up a bottle of water to drink from it while the other three lowly sang the chorus repeatedly. Nick eventually began strumming deeply on the B-chord while Randy and John assisted, as necessary. It came as a surprise when John began snarling into the final verses. The song eventually wrapped up and the four mammals slammed more water while listening to the roars – some very literally – of approval from the slowly thinning crowd.

The four all gathered up in front of Randy’s drums to quietly speak to one another. They were all grinning and laughing, playfully exchanging instruments, as Judy watched Nick greedily drink another bottle of water. He tossed the empty plastic off behind the stage as he began panting again. The todd aggressively rubbed his head to disperse the beads of sweat that were mounting. Something ended up grabbing his attention off to the doe’s left and he deftly caught two more full bottles that had been tossed. The group dispersed and Nick took a seat behind the drums again. Randy went up to the lead mic stand and grinned out at everyone. The lights dimmed promptly so that he could see better.

“Ladies and gentlemammals. It’s quite a surprise the see this many at one of our practices. I’d just like to say that if you’d like to see more, you should see if we’re here on our usual Wednesdays. Y’all make sure to tip the waitstaff and Gerard generously, and thank Mimi for letting us cut loose in their establishment!” The bobcat said, arms spread wide. “And, now that big and tall has relinquished the stage… I’m Randy Phillips and I’m going to lead us in closing out the night. Please, give a firm round of applause to Dave Mingan, whose been running point tonight, as well as John Dempsey and Nick Wilde. We don’t have a band name. Now, without further ado, here’s [_Wounded Mind_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rlCbmVplME) by Cody Lynks.”

The song was somewhat of an alternative country hit, which Judy recognized, and she smiled warmly. It was usually played with an electric keyboard or piano, but the crew had carefully worked through it with precise guitar and drum playing. Randy had picked up a spare electric to provide a limited accentuation of short solos: other than that, he simply sang the sad song. It was amazing to watch him take one portion of the chords, and expect it again, only to have Dave take the next bit in a rotation. And, Nick… He would sway a little as he tapped out the beat. He was marvelous to watch. What’s more, they were all in tune with one another.

When they finished the song, the transition was smooth. The group did not even converse on what was going to happen next: they just committed to it. Dave and Nick handled the intro while Randy and John swap positions and instruments. With the bobcat taking his place at the lead microphone, Dave waned out on his guitar to let Randy act as the point-mammal. The song ramped into high gear as Nick took the beat louder with the toms while the dusky bobcat followed him on the guitar. With a short breath, closed eyes, and pinned ears Randy was ready.

He let loose a harshly-toned voice as he sang.

_“[Sweet mountain river](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHrRPLHRgDA), come take me away!  
Way out west of the prairies,  
Is where I’m going to stay,  
Yeah!”_

The whole group crashed and thrashed through the first verse as Randy sang jovially. Judy knew that Dave and Nick were from the city, but Randy and John struck her as being more from the rural areas. She was unsure where because she could not place their accents.

Just as all four of the males started singing the chorus, a waitress approached the table with a serving tray full of drinks. Judy carefully helped the dingo arrange the dukes of beer and water, not missing the look of surprise on the canine’s face. The doe smiled happily in response as the tray was reloaded with the empty glasses and the dingo melted back into the room.

 _They act like they’ve never seen a rabbit before,_ the Rebel chided in annoyance.

Judy refocused on the music before her and it eventually drew to a close. The four played out the last of the tune with a furious vigor just before the lights dimmed out. And, with that, the Saturday’s practice was over. The crowd, including the diminutive rabbit doe, began clapping and shouting encouragements in earnest while the males put their instruments away. Randy jogged back up to the microphone with a grin.

“No!” He shouted to even more applause. _“Thank you!”_

Nick quickly dismounted the stage and approached the table to take a seat. He was again in search of water to quench his thirst and could not wipe the grin off his muzzle as he took in the sight of Judy Hopps beaming at him. When the lights came back on, Judy noticed how much more fluffed-out his fur was. And, because he was drenched in sweat, the todd looked as if he had just gotten out of the shower. The other three slowly made their way over and crowded into the booth so that Dave had enough room to join in. Randy and the larger wolf received slaps on the back the whole way down from the stage.

“Was that our first gig then?” Randy laughed before downing a beer.

“Holy smokes, that was great!” John stated in agreement.

The todd and the wolf, while smiling, remained quiet in an effort to focus on rehydrating. Judy wondered if it was because of the medication that Nick was taking: he looked more tired than in the previous days. And, now that she thought about it, Dave was also merely drinking water. It made her wonder if he also taking PTSD preventatives. The large wolf also looked distracted. It was highly likely that he wanted to get back to Rory now that the practice was over. It was extremely endearing to see.

“Alright, guys. I’m going to square up on the drinks. It’s time to bail before we get swamped by our newly founded fanbase.” Dave said as he took a look around.

“Seconded,” Nick said quickly. “I don’t want to have to deal with another attempted kitnapping case. Right, John?”

The otter balked hard at the memory of nearly being drug off – during a bathroom visit – by an otter gal that had not taken her Chill Pill for the day. His friends had nearly not been able to save him because they were laughing as hard as they were at the table now. Judy was clueless about what was so funny, but Nick’s face told her that he would explain later.

“That’s fucked up…” John muttered in embarrassment. “Alright. Let’s boogie.”

Judy quickly followed Nick as everyone bailed out of the booth and split up quietly. The nighttime air was muggy as it had been over a week prior. It meant that the natural winter would exacerbate the normal effects from the Climate Wall. The sun was down, and she had initially expected it to be colder. The todd walked next to Judy while setting a slower pace to match her shorter gait. The doe noticed that Nick’s paws were shaking.

After a quick glance around at the streets and nearby businesses, Judy took his paw and led him down a side-street. The todd made a noise of surprise at the doe’s suddenness but did not argue as he was pulled along. Judy knew that he was wondering what had caused the determined look to cross her face. Eventually, Judy led him into another small diner that they usually frequented. The waiter immediately took note of them and Judy flash two fingers for their usual orders. It was not often that they came in while wearing their plainclothes. Judy pushed Nick into a booth and sat down across from him with a determined stare directed towards the kitchen.

“You haven’t eaten today, have you?” She asked quietly.

“Yeah… I forgot this morning.” Nick sighed, being completely honest.

Not even four-minutes later, the kudu waiter slid their usual orders down the table and placed their drinks nearby. Hearing no request for additional condiments, Marcus left without a work. The kudu was extremely dedicated to his work and also nearly silent at all times. All he ever wanted to do was work hard and it was extremely commendable.

Judy watched as Nick began to eat methodically, still trying to remain professional about the whole issue even though he had his free paw balled up. The todd must have realized how bad the presentation was.

“Nick. Eat.” Judy said firmly, starting to dig into her salad. “Just don’t choke yourself out.”

The todd’s eyes flicked up at her for a moment before reassessing his portions of the fish steak and potatoes. Nick looked as if he was trying to gauge how mad the doe was. Of course, Judy was not angry, so she found it somewhat adorable of the fox. Forgetting to eat happened on occasion, so it wasn’t too big of a deal. She was merely adamant about making sure Nick was taken care of.

“So, Slick…” Judy said nonchalantly. “You were amazing tonight. You didn’t sing though.”

Nick smiled a little, keeping his eyes on his food while manipulating the fork and knife in his paws. “I had a song, but I was just feeling the instruments tonight. Sorry, Carrots.” He explained shortly.

“I’ll get to make a special request at some point then?” The doe pressed with a cheeky grin.

The corner of Nick’s maw pulled back enough to reveal his carnassial and he gave a conceding nod without so much more as a word. Judy, on the other paw, hummed happily as she watched him take larger portions of his food. Judy could read him like a book and chuckled quietly to herself. Nick had always lived with a distraction to keep other mammals from peering at him directly. Unfortunately for the todd, Judy was happy with keeping him in her eye to make him feel embarrassed about it all and it was working. His hackles were starting to raise along the back of his neck and shoulders under his shirt. Nick was not mad. Merely uncomfortable.

“Well, I’ve got some really good news.” Judy continued after a few moments. “Bogo gave us a lot of time off. Nearly all of our PTO for Christmas and New Year’s, and he’s also signed off on an extended Thanksgiving. You get to go to Bunnyburrow twice, Slick.”

“You’re assuming that I live past Thanksgiving dinner prep, Carrots.” Nick said with a sly wink.

Judy adopted a large, semi-innocent grin to her face. “Why wouldn’t you? I have to fatten you up for Christmas dinner after all.” The doe muttered offhandedly.

Nick laughed a bit while polishing off the last of the food on his plate, eyeing the female sitting across from him all the while. The todd didn’t _think_ that she would go so far to black-bag him into the back of a van. It was funny, nonetheless.

 _“Weelll…_ If you’re going to keep feeding me like this… It may be worth my while to stick around. Just make sure when it’s time to, y’know… Make it quick.” The todd aimed a couple of fingers at his head and clicked his tongue to emphasize the point. “It’s worth it too, when I take into consideration that I forgot my wallet.”

The look on Judy’s face was priceless, of course, while Nick merely continued to grin. The doe was debating on how honest Nick was being: considering their original meeting. He looked sincere enough while emptying out his pockets, so Judy threw some bills down on the table before they made their exit out of the diner.

“Next time, make sure to eat, OK?” Judy reminded him politely.

Nick huffed with a grin, shrugging deeply as they stepped back into the warm evening air.

“But, then, how would a todd ever get a lovely young mammal, such as yourself, to take him out for dinner?” He asked with a mirthful expression.

Judy rolled her eyes while taking a shot at his shoulder with a balled paw.

 _Ever one to deflect attention off the situation at paw…_ Judy thought to herself.

“So, tell me about what happened to John. Did he get kitnapped?” She decided to inquire.

Surprise turned to a loud roar of laughter that came straight from Nick’s belly. The memory alone was simply too much sometimes. The todd shoved his paws into his pockets deeply while walking down the sidewalk to their residence.

“Very nearly,” He finally said.

When it did not seem like Nick was going to elaborate, Judy looked up at him in prompting.

“Long story short. Awhile back, we finished up a practice. We were getting everything back in order, putting the instruments away, and cleaning up. The works, right? Well, after we finished that, everybody was relaxing with some drinks. Of course, John needed to take a piss and wandered off to the can. It was no big deal… or so we thought. The rest of us weren’t really paying attention when, suddenly, we hear a commotion coming from the back. At least they were polite enough to wait until after the set, right?” Nick explained with uncontained glee.

“Well, this goes on for several minutes and we’re even starting to get upset about it. There’s snarling and screeching, and Gerard – the gray fox – is bellowing at whoever it is to shut the hell up… But, finally, Dave picks out some choice words through the shouting and he takes off without a word. Alright, then, game on! So, we take off and find Dave watching this otter gal with her paws all over John. He’s clawing up the walls trying not to get drug off, shouting all kinds of obscenities, and we’re just standing around. He’s calling for help and we just lost it, laughing, and doing a terrible job at removing John from the grasp of the dastardly sow. We eventually figured out that she had forgotten her heat pills and we escorted her out while exfiltrating John out the back.” Nick finalized, tipping his shoulders randomly during the story-telling.

Judy shook her head in silent disbelief and tried not to grin all that wide at the tale. He could see the tip of Nick’s tail flickering in amusement behind them both.

“Well, you’re a great friend…” She teased.

“A shield doesn’t do a good job of belaying a hospital visit due to a hostile heat casualty, Carrots. Even Dave was wary of the wee, little otter who was pillaging Mimi’s patrons.” Nick chuckled with a full-bore shrug.

The todd was not lying about that kind of issue in the slightest. The fact was that she could not imagine accidentally forgetting to take her biweekly dose while being around Nick as often as she was. That would never be lived down: even if the news did not go wide.

Choosing to distract herself from those thoughts, Judy became enamored with the moonlit buildings and the milky reflections from the nearby windows. The streetlights glittered further down the streets while storefront lights illuminated much of everything in between. The sight made her wonder when the first snows would fall. The previous two-years had gone by so swiftly that she had only considered the phenomenon sometime after-the-fact. And, the year before was tinged with a lot of time spent in Tundratown. It had likely diminished the awe factor, at the time. It was going to be nice this this time around because she would see the initial snowfall of Zootopia and then get to see the snowfields of Bunnyburrow twice. The thought brought forth a gentle smile.

“So, Carrots?” Nick said aloud, considering his words. “Seeing as you managed to swing me all this upcoming time off, it’s my turn to ask you what you would like for Christmas.”

“I thought we weren’t getting each other gifts like last time?” Judy asked in confusion.

“You broke the rules. I get to go to your hometown this year. Twice.” Nick explained again.

“That _doesn’t_ count!” The doe exclaimed.

She jabbed a finger at the todd while he simply began to laugh in a semi-condescending manner. It was clear to Judy that Nick was going to ignore all efforts to not give gifts this year. Hell, it looked as if he was already scheming.

 _Which means I’m going all-out now…_ Judy thought.

Nick continued to laugh while watching her. He was clearly hoping that Judy would be open to the idea of presenting a few ideas for him. Unfortunately, and because that was not going to happen, Nick could already be seen to be relishing the thought of doing the leg-work for the task.

With a singy-songy tone and the shuffle of paws on the sidewalk, he stated gleefully. “Just remember, Carrots. You broke the rules.”

The doe merely rolled her eyes: thinking about the first holiday that was a little less than a month from then. Not too terribly worried about spending Halloween behind the glass of a cruiser.

When the duo had arrived at their residence, Nick had given his goodnights abruptly. He was exhausted. But, Judy was stuck in a state of invigoration from the mix of good news and the band practice that she had finally been able to witness up close. The doe's frame buzzed from the excitement, hearing the water pipes groaning from Nick beginning his shower routine, and she decided to pour herself some blackberry wine before calling her parents. The news could not wait until the morning.

Bonnie and Stu had lots of talk about before Judy could interject with her own news. There was lots going on with the harvest season and the accompanying Harvest Festival. Some of the kits were in trouble, two of her younger sisters were getting married in the late upcoming springtime, and a lot of preparations still needed to be made on the business side of the Hopps' Farms. A level of indifference had tinged Judy's mind over her family's thoughts of bringing Nick home and there was no small bit of surprise when her father informed her that there was not a problem with him coming along. It did not stop the look of concern on her parents' faces when Judy explained how severe Nick's issues were and how reserved the todd felt about potentially spooking her family members, but the two elder rabbits still supported the idea behind the trips. Maybe partially because it was also an order from Chief Idris Bogo himself. Her father looked pensive; all things considered.

Once Judy wrapped up the video call, the weight of the day crashed in and her mind started to wander. Bogo's concerns replayed in her head. The heartfelt concern and seriousness of the words weighed heavy. It made her think back to the aspects of the pit that she had tended not to think about. As she quietly sipped her wine, the doe's ears fell back, and her nose began to twitch erratically. Judy remembered the fear of potentially being killed by a savage Nick Wilde. Of course, she had been scared at the time. There were so many unknowns about the whole scheme, at the time.

 _But, that look of fear in his eyes..._ Optimism whispered mournfully. _We were his first proper friend that Nick had probably had in years. He was more scared than anybody that night._

Judy's face scrunched up in anger as tears began to well-up in her eyes. Everything had worked out for the best that it could, she guessed, and she had no fear now about it. The mocking laughter and hatred spewed from Dawn Bellwether brought on the emotion of fury within the doe. The ewe had harmed and scarred her best friend deeply. Nick had more trust for the world due to the last two-years of service to Zootopia, but at the cost of trust in himself. That made Judy furious to the point of having to set the wine glass down on the coffee table. Fury because she did not know how to fix that part of the fox yet.

Ignoring the glass, Judy made her way up the stairs and to her room. Silently, the doe closed the door as the tears began to stream down her face. Judy walked over to her dresser and withdrew the secret plush fox that she had put away before carrying it over to her bed. She curled up around it without changing and the mental wall, that she had unknowingly created for herself, crumbled.

In the din of the nighttime sky outside, Judy Hopps cried herself to sleep thinking about the past and the turmoil that chaos had caused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine that the next chapter will come out after New Year's, so I wish you a better '21 than our previous '20. I also imagine that the view count will breach 2,000: for which, I will give thanks to all of my readers.
> 
> Until the next one.


	8. Doors & Corners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh-ho! So soon after posting C7? Even I'm surprised. Enjoy.

The next month was a whirlwind of patrols, practices, and rotated weekends for the duo. Two weeks of standard weekends and two weekends of longs. Bogo was balancing everything out before the odd month-and-a-half that came from Thanksgiving through New Year’s on the timesheets. Thanksgiving week brought a bit of overtime, but not in the usual fashion. The day of the 24th went per the norm, but Michael Wolford and Nick Wilde were called up by Bogo after the dayshift was concluded for an additional tasking. They were needed for an internal surveillance on a seedy predator bar within the Rainforest District. Judy was highly dismayed with not being brought in on the outer surveillance ring, though it was probably for the best.

The operation lasted half the night before one of the “home team” gang had lost their patience with the opposition crew they had sat down to negotiate with. A brawl broke out in the building and the members of Precinct-1 and Rainforest’s Precinct-13 busted in to begin making arrests. Drug and weapons trafficking, abductions, illegal goods, poaching… The list went on. The bookings were handled by Precinct-13, but Precinct-1 required that the “lifeblood” of the department be done back at HQ. It took the two canines until just after noon on the 25th to finish the required paperwork before they were released for the day. On his way out of the lockers, Nick was surprised to find that Judy was not on the roster for the dayshift at all, so he headed home as quickly as his tired frame would allow.

Was receiving a little over three-hours of overtime, completed in only three days, worth it? In this particular case, Nick highly doubted it. It would have been worth it if he had been able to complete another two or three-days of standard patrol on top of it. In fact, the todd was fairly pissed about how the whole operation was brought to its conclusion. The ZPD did not arrest every mammal that they had been searching for: either due to the fight breaking out prior to some mammals arrivals or through some quick-witted escaping of a few who were there. Precinct-1 was not short on predators, but they were short on predators who had adequate experience and solid covers. Nick had the street experience but lacked the undercover work experience. This meant that he had a perfectly intact cover assuming the locals had not seen him walking the beat. It was not readily known that he joined the ZPD after the Nighthowler Case’s conclusion and the duo’s previous high-profile busts were strict in keeping their anonymity safe for future work.

All in all, Nick was a _little_ pissed.

Opening the front door loudly, Nick threw his vest into the closet and released a long sigh. He was glad that Judy had forced him to pack ahead of time because they were going to be getting on the earliest train they could find this afternoon. Pulling out his phone, Nick called for a Zoober to provide transit to the train station.

“Carrots!” He called upstairs. “I hope you’re ready.”

The todd smiled as he heard the flurry of paws on the hardwood floor before the grey doe’s head popped over the railing. Their eyes met and Judy immediately heaved a duffel bag over it to take aim. Nick clapped his paws, and she dropped the ordnance down to the todd before running back to her room. That duffel was slid over to the door and a moment later, his own duffel unceremoniously slammed into the floor behind the todd. Promptly followed by the rapid-fire hammering of paws coming down the stairs. Nick nearly jumped out of his fur at the bag’s sudden arrival.

“Damn, Fluff… Go easy on my clothes, why don’t you?” Nick ribbed the doe.

“I repacked your bag a bit because it’s snowing out there!” Judy said loudly, ignoring the todd as he balked a bit. “I was surprised that I didn’t find any dirty magazines while I searched for your cold weather clothes.”

“Disregard for personal property and privacy?” He called, watching her speed off for the living room. “And, where was your _warrant,_ Officer Hopps?”

“Didn’t need one! The nice todd invited me in!” Judy hollered back.

Nick laughed and shook his head while punching in an order for their train tickets. Judy knew that Nick wasn’t clued in on when he would be getting back, so she had refrained from making that purchase herself. Once he was done, he shut the phone off so that nobody from the precinct could get ahold of him. He certainly would not be back until Monday.

Looking up at the sound of paws on the wooden floors again, Nick was surprised to find Judy clutching his personal acoustic guitar to her chest. Her face peered over the body and past the neck of the guitar while she grinned at the todd.

“I’m not worried about your clothes, but we’re going to be really careful with Kumiho.” Judy said happily.

“Kumiho?” Nick asked curiously.

“You said I could help name your instruments. And, this one is super special to you. I did some research about fox culture in the Asian nations and liked the name.” Judy explained, suddenly becoming shy.

 _Karma, she’s the epitome of endearment…_ He thought fondly.

“Alright… But, why bring her along?” He asked.

“Just in case you start feeling upset or down… You’ll be able to do something you really love and feel better.” Judy explained, becoming even more embarrassed.

_She’s going to kill us with sweetness before I can even have any blueberry treats…_

The todd smiled warmly and nodded, ushering her over to the door while he picked up the bags. A glint through the window of the door told him that the Zoober was present and that they needed to boogie. The doe gave a joyous hoot at his acceptance of her idea while he locked the door behind them.

“Let’s haul carrots!” Judy said firmly, seemingly disgruntled by work as much as Nick was. “How’d the surveillance go, by the way?”

Nick groaned loudly. “I’ll just say that I turned my phone off after forwarding you our ticket confirmations.” He explained. “How’d you get off your shift, though?”

“Bogo called. He said you were still snout deep in reports and that I wouldn’t have a partner for patrol, so he put Clawhauser on parking duty and gave me the day to prepare for the trip.” Judy explained as they loaded into the Zoober.

“To the train station, please.” Nick indicated before turning back to Judy. “Isn’t that sweet, though? I knew Chief Beefcakes had a melty heart of gold.”

The ride to the station was quiet as Nick simply could not muster any more energy to hold a conversation. The train ride was going to be a long one. The todd did not anticipate arriving in Bunnyburrow until somewhere around dusk. Unfortunately, Judy seemed to be as tired as he was. With his sensory on edge, his mind was pushing him further and further. Nick would let her sleep, if she would allow it for herself, and he would keep watch in their cabin. Of course, he was not about to sit in the general quarters with all of the other passengers. Half for the sake of the other passengers because he had not managed to shower in his urgency to leave the city and half for their sake because he wanted a defensible position. Nick had never felt this strung out in his life and the Nighthowler exposure was driving his internal protection instincts to their limits.

Once they arrived, the duo embarked on the train for Bunnyburrow. Nick had squared the bill with the Zoober driver and made sure to mentally log the need to leave a review on his services. It was interesting to watch Judy hustle around the train cars to find an empty cabin. The shorter doe hustled inside one of them without looking back and carefully handled the guitar that she had as if it were a bomb being taken to an EOD unit. It was quite unnecessary, to say the least. Anybody could see that the guitar has mileage on it and for good reason. It was meant to be played and that meant there would be wear and tear. Nevertheless, it was a sweet gesture.

Nick set Judy’s bag down near the window and laid his in the corner of the seat across from her. He did not know how he was going to stay awake through the trip. Just before taking his seat, Nick discreetly adjusted his concealed sidearm in its holster. It was making his back sore.

“You were all set to go, Fluff. Why didn’t stay in bed?” He decided to ask.

“I couldn’t sleep…” Judy muttered reluctantly. “I was worried about how the stakeout was going and mad that I wasn’t able to go with you.”

“Ehh…” Nick groaned a bit. “You didn’t miss anything. You’d have had to sit in the surveillance van anyway. The place was pred exclusive.”

“What makes you think that you should have gone at all, Nick?” Judy shot back sharply. “You were exhausted at the end of dayshift. And, I don’t presently have the synonym to describe what you look like now…”

While surprised as the tone Judy had on her voice, Nick decided to ease the tension a little.

“Devilishly handsome, as usual. Though, I may need a shower…” He chuckled, feeling the train begin to move towards its destination. “Sorry about that, Carrots…”

“Nick! I don’t give a fifty-acre cabbage patch that you haven’t showered. That doesn’t bother me.” Judy said, her voice raising.

“All this time off was going to come with a price tag, Carrots.” He explained evenly, not letting the heat in her voice get on his nerves. “The Chief pulled a lot of strings and there was no way he could have predicted what exactly was going to happen. I assume that I was brought in so that I could ID any other priority targets that might have been there. I know for a fact that Bogo knew it was risky considering my past. I could have just as easily been ID’d by someone from my past. It was a necessary risk. And, anyway… I kind of feel like it also paid you back a little.”

The todd watched Judy the entire time, seeing that she was carefully forming a rebuttal to the whole argument. The hope of that was dashed with his last statement. If it hadn’t been a risk to his arm, Nick would have chortled at the blank expression on her face.

“What? Why?” She asked.

“Get some sleep, Fluff. You look tired.” Nick said, denying her an explanation.

Judy seemed reluctant, but eventually did find enough comfort to drift off after a while. Outside, the depths of Zootopia melted into the vastness that was the BCL. Beyond City Limits morphed with several inner counties and their respective municipalities. The plains and hills were dotted with intermixed tracts of farmland and forest. The todd had only been outside of the city a couple of times in his life and found the view extremely refreshing to witness. He had wished that it had been earlier in the season of fall, though. It was certainly wild out here.

Most of the leaves had fallen from their respective places in the tree limbs and, eventually, the inner farmland areas disappeared. The forests began to fill with a mixture of pines and oaks. Gently turned leaves of yellow accented the juniper-shades of green, steadily turning to a more olive green with the loss of light. After several dozen more miles, the sun was starting to fade as the snows began to accent the fewer and fewer acres of forest beyond the window. Nick could feel his pupils adjust to the dimming of the light while he watched the light it was fully extinguished. After the forests were diminished from his sight, Nick was broken from the spell of the tranquility.

The todd rubbed his face with his paws before taking a look around the cabin. They were not far from Bunnyburrow now and Nick had missed the trolley of snacks. He was positively famished and fortunately for him, it was overwhelming the need to sleep nicely. There was a bit of mental beratement when he heard Judy’s stomach growling nearby.

Looking back out the window, Nick noticed all of the stars in the sky and the steady glow of the rapidly approaching station. He stood up silently and went over to grasp the doe’s shoulder gently.

“It’s time to wake up now, Fluff. We’re about to arrive.” The todd said, giving her a gentle squeeze.

The rousing was immediate and came with a sweet yawn. Blinking amethyst eyes found the todd before her and they locked eyes for a moment. Though they had not been separated the entire time, both mammals felt a sense of ease wash over them at the sight of the other. The gazes were equally endearing. After a moment, Nick stood up straight and gathered their bags while listening to Judy take up the guitar. The strings were brushed a couple of times with the movements and the sound of it made Nick smiled a bit.

Not even ten-minutes later, the train stopped at the station and the doors opened to a blustering and flurry-stricken wind. The duo stepped out on the platform and Nick took a look around to see where their party was waiting. Judy could hear better than the todd and took grabbed him by the sleeve to drag him along. The platform was not thoroughly inundated by mammals as Zootopia’s nearly always was. There were enough pairs of high rabbit ears to block his vision. A slow flowing of dulled winter jackets in hues of white, black, brown, and gray. Nick noticed that they usually matched the wearer’s primary fur color. He was not sure if she had recognized a family member or if she was merely heading to the parking lot.

A buck’s approach caught Nick’s attention immediately. The duo was flanked from their left-rear as they walked along, and the rabbit fell in line with them at their pace.

“Judy. Nick.” The buck greeted them.

“Robby!” Judy replied happily, stopping to give the buck a hug.

“Let’s save the proper greetings for home. There’s a front bearing down on us.” Robby said with a quick smile. “It keeps switching between heavy rains and billowing snows.”

“Sounds like something we don’t want to be outside for.” Nick admitted.

Robby’s paw shot out and Nick shook it quickly before they were led to the parking lot, and a truck that seemed to belong either to the business or the buck himself. Once they were loaded up, the buck threw the vehicle in drive and took them out of the dim streets of Bunnyburrow. The windshield wipers squeaked back and forth to clear the wet snow that was falling. It was nearly a 45-minute drive before Nick finally saw the lights of the Hopps Farm. Dim orange hues glared off of randomly placed utility poles across the main yard and brighter hues of yellow and white lights came from the main residence. As best as Nick could tell, the warren was built out of a high group of hills.

Thanks to the lights from the windows across the area, Nick noticed that there were several tall-eared heads peering out at the returning vehicle. The todd could not help but chuckle at how ominous the sight actually looked. Robby parked the truck in the yard and hopped out with Judy hot on his heels. The doe was trying to quickly unload the truck so that she could get inside. The rain was starting to turn to snow and stick to everything in the lateness of the evening, but Nick intercepted her and held the guitar over her head with a smirk.

“Go find your parents, Fluff. I’ve got this.” He said deeply, smiling at how excited she was to be home.

The doe frowned a little as Nick blocked her path to the bags and held the guitar out of her reach, but she did not argue with the todd. Instead, she slowly turned while giving him the stink-eye and darted off. Robby and Nick both laughed together as the todd slinged the guitar across his back and picked up the two bags in each respective paw. The buck offered him a paw, but Nick just shook his head with a grin.

“So, you’re Judy’s partner, huh?” Robby asked, walking with Nick up to the house.

“Nick Wilde, yeah. Just call me Nick.” The todd confirmed.

“I’m Robby Hopps. And, just a heads-up. Grandpa is still kickin’ and telling everyone that foxes are made by the Devil.” The buck admitted sheepishly.

Nick could not help but laugh. “We can’t have been made by the devil, though. Depending on the fox that you ask, we’re servants of Karma.” He explained. “But, because we are just as much tricksters as we are defenders of the innocent, as well as being vigilantes, I figure I might be able to play a tune to goad the ol’ timer.”

Nick side-eyed the buck to see Robby balk at the comment. Then, Robby dragged a paw down his face in embarrassment.

“For Serendipity’s sake, please, don’t do that. It’s embarrassing enough to deal with as it is.” The buck complained.

“It’s sounds like you’re in my corner then?” Nick inquired.

“We’ve all heard what you and Judy have done for each other while working as partners. You’re going to find a lot of rabbits here, whom you’ve never met, that would go to bat for you because of what you’ve done for her.” Robby’s voice hardened as he looked up at the todd. “All Judy talked about last holiday season was how you took that round for her. Hell’s Bells, Nick. All she does is talk about _you_ and both of your adventures.”

“They don’t even know me, though. And, for the record, most of that buckshot was intercepted by my vest.” Nick said firmly.

“Though, that whole shell wasn’t meant for you at all. Was it?” Robby stated.

Nick took a breath to regain himself before shaking his head minutely. “No. It wasn’t meant for me… Judy ended up kicking the stuffing out of that boar…” He said softly, thinking back on a raid that nearly went bad the previous year.

The buck smacked him on the shoulder with as much vigor as Judy usually did and it caused the todd to mutter under his breath about the tenacity of some prey. Nick was joking and knew Robby would hear it in his tone.

“It’s as I said. Not many mammals would do that for another… I think you’ll find the warren far more welcoming than you imagined.” Robby said sincerely.

“Judy made mention that it was just to fatten me up for Christmas dinner.” The todd joked.

“You’d still be too thin for that, by the looks of it.” The buck admonished the thought. “Besides, we’d have Gideon Grey if he wasn’t so good at making pies out of our wares.”

The two mammals got to the door and Robby led Nick inside. It seemed to be the main door despite leading straight a small room that connected to a kitchen. The smaller room was full of small pairs of boots and hangers with multi-colored jackets hung everywhere. The todd found the footwear odd but there might have been something to it for the kits. Robby shucked his coat and hung it up before turning back to Nick: both mammals could hear the laughter and jovial air of the reunion just beyond the threshold.

“Pass off the bags and hang your coat. I’ll see that your stuff is taken to Judy’s room for now.” Robby said firmly. “Good luck with my parents. I’ll tell you, they’re extremely kind to all. They have concerns, though. I’ve heard a bit of why.”

“As I knew they would…” Nick acquiesced, passing off the duffels before nodding once. “Off to the judges and the jury for me.”

Robby chuckled and walked out as Nick removed his guitar and jacket. Once he hung the jacket up, Nick took the guitar over his shoulder while stepping into the kitchen. He was greeted by the sight of Stewart Hopps swinging Judy around encased in a large hug while Bonnie Hopps looked on with a large smile on her muzzle. Nick quietly laid his guitar on the table so as not to interrupt. When he looked up, he found the matriarch looking at him with a gentler smile. The doe turned to approach the todd. Her paw reached out with a cordial invite and Nick took her smaller paw in his gently.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ma’am. I’m Nicholas Wilde.” The todd said with every shred of kindness within his being.

“There is no need to be so formal, Nicholas. Come here.” Bonnie ordered, surprising him with a warm hug around his neck. Though, not without dragging him down to her level a bit. “It is so nice to finally meet you.”

The todd knew that Bonnie could feel how tense he was. Hell, Nick had almost yelped when the doe latched on to his neck to give him a hug. It was unexpected, to say the least. And, then Bonnie released the todd so that she could take a good look at him. Immediately, the doe tutted at what she saw.

“I’m not certain if it’s you who has brought the storm or if you were brought with it, my dear.” She admitted grimly, noting the dullness of the todd standing before her.

Nick could feel Bonnie’s eyes roam his face: taking in the sight of how his fur lacked a proper sheen, how the todd’s eyes sparked with mere embers and not a fire, and how the tiredness etched his face deeper than any canyon on the planet. It was unnerving to know that this matriarch could see right through every bit of him. Karma was whispering on the winds outside and he heard every word.

_No Mask, that you have fashioned for yourself by my permission, will hide your emotions, your sorrows, or your soul from this one. You may only lay yourself, with a bare truth, before her._

There was no way that the doe missed the shuddering breath that Nick had lost control of. He had no response for her comment and did not resist her ushering him to the bench at the table. Nick had not noticed that Stu had released his daughter and that the two had approached the table. The patriarch sat down in a chair at the head of the short table and Judy sat next to Nick while Bonnie busied herself with arranging plates of food for them. The younger doe had concern plastered all over her muzzle.

“My apologies, Sir. It’s been a long couple of days.” Nick apologized to Stewart sincerely, holding out a paw. “I’m Nick Wilde. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“We may not’ve met properly before, but we know of each other well enough. Call me Stu.” The buck said solidly. He was smiling as he shook the todd’s paw. “Judy said you had quite a long shift to take care of.”

“That, it was.” Nick replied with a curt nod. He had not been able to help the fact that his nose was gently sniffing the air for the food in the kitchen. The action was turning his head subconsciously and made the buck laugh.

Bonnie quickly returned with two bowls of food, mixed vegetable stew, and set them down in front of the duo before taking a seat across from Nick and next to her husband. The elder doe’s ears were relaxed and laid back against her head as she urged the todd to dig-in with a polite nod. Nick had not been a guest, in such capacity or of such importance, in years and he had forgotten the nuances of it all. The last things that he wanted to do were overstep his bounds or slight the hosts. Judy, on the other paw, held nothing in reserve. She elbowed him with a soft scowl.

“Eat, Slick. And, there’s plenty more to have seconds.” She said firmly.

The couple watched and laughed at face Nick silently made in response: still deciding that it was best to eat properly so as not to draw the ire of the other doe at the table. Not even his Viking ancestors would be able to save him from a mother-daughter thumping on his noggin. Stu leaned up against the edge of the table while taking off his hat and laying it down. The buck ruffled his head and ears before they shot back up at the ready.

“How was the trip?” Stu asked politely.

“Well, I ended up napping the whole way. I imagine that Nick spent most of his time watching the wilderness.” Judy explained.

“We would have come to get you ourselves, but we ended up having to wrangle the kits to get them into bed.” Bonnie explained apologetically.

“Well, that just means we’ll see the kerfluffle in full force tomorrow morning.” Judy said with a laugh.

“Nick will, more likely than not, be overwhelmed primarily.” Stu said with a deep laugh before trailing on ominously. “They’re all enamored with the idea of a physically fit, mystery fox that may just assist them in their snowball war training. The day is fast approaching when they will face the Farber kits in the snows.”

Nick could not help but chuckle despite his mouth being full of food, trying to ignore how intently Bonnie was staring at him from across the neutral territory that was the table. He was not in any danger, or not that he could feel anyway, and he was trying to shake off the feeling that it was odd. It simply wasn’t. The motive was made clear as soon as he set his spoon down in the empty bowl. It was immediately whisked away before he could utter anything in urgency. After a moment, it was back before him: filled to the brim with seconds.

“I would pay good money, and be willing to make the cardboard armaments, to see some of them ride Nick into battle against the mighty Farber snow castle.” Judy admitted, sending mother and daughter into a fit of giggles at the mental imagery.

The todd did not even try to restrain the rolling of his eyes. It probably would look extremely adorable to see several of the kits brandishing makeshift swords and shields, all while throwing snowballs at the opposition’s garrison. Judy would take pictures and, no doubt, they would end up in the breakroom on the notification board. And, of course, Clawhauser would explode from excitement.

“So, Nick. I know it’s late, but there are some things we need to clear up. I don’t figure that you’ll be surprised by this.” Stu prefaced the real conversation finally.

“Stewart, you let the todd eat. If I knew him better, I’d have dragged him in by the ear for showing up in such a skinny state.” Bonnie admonished her husband firmly.

“Yeah…” Stu groaned, earning him a soft glare from his wife. “But, you’d sit here all night until he finished the pot all by his lonesome because of it.”

Before Nick could reply, Judy piped up from next to him. “Dad, it’s so late. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” She asked.

Nick, meanwhile, had finished sipping the dregs of the second bowl down. The todd set it on the table just so sharply to force a pause and an understanding that he meant to interject.

“Judy. Your father has some questions that need to be addressed. I explained that this was a foregone conclusion.” The todd said, trying not to make his tone too firm.

He watched as the doe’s ears fell back slowly. Judy looked at the table and nodded glumly. The Hopps’ took that as their cue to become a little more serious in their appearance as they sat up straighter in their chairs. Nick found the feeling to not be unlike that of when he sat before his trauma counselor or Chief Bogo.

“You’ll have to forgive me, Nicholas. I’m not sure how to gussy up these questions so that they don’t sound so crass.” Stu admitted, not without a bit of embarrassment flushing his ears.

“The most invasive of questions cut like a knife, Sir. The honesty, that should always follow any question, hits like a swung sledgehammer in response. And, the two are supposed to compliment each other so.” Nick explained deeply, wishing that he had a backboard to relax against.

“We understand that you don’t sleep well…” Stu said awkwardly. Karma bless the buck for trying to retain a sense of delicacy.

Nick would not dance around it though. “I have post-trauma induced nightmares from when Bellwether shot me, Mister and Missus Hopps. I take a medication for it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always contain the physical responses to what I see in my dreams. If the nightmare is pervasive enough, I rip the pillows and sheets apart. And, the accompanying sounds are extremely feral.” He explained, taking stock of how the food was warming his extremities nicely.

Bonnie had reached out to rest her paw on Stu’s while the buck processed the information. There was worry written into every age-line on her muzzle; though, Nick could not be sure if it was for them or him. Judy’s was marred by an anxiousness and worry while she looked between her two parents and the todd sitting next to her.

“What’s in your nightmares that gets you so worked up?” Stu inquired.

“I fight the savage version of myself from the pit. Sometimes it’s to prevent ‘him’ from harming Judy… More often than that, it’s to kill ‘him’ after…” Nick stumbled, finding the food in his stomach starting to weigh heavy at the thought. He could not finish the sentence. His tail lashed back and forth in frustration behind him. “But, most often… I’m fighting ‘his’ desire to transform me. To make me feel and see everything that happened again. The feeling is so physical that I wake up and my muscles are on fire as if I was just struck by another pellet.”

“It didn’t end that way, Nicholas. You didn’t harm our kit.” Bonnie whispered urgently.

“It’s psychological scarring, Ma’am. The docs haven’t been able to figure out how to heal that.” The todd said softly, looking up a little at the walls behind Judy’s parents.

“You said ‘again’, Nicholas. What do you mean?” Stu asked suddenly, confused by his words.

The question caused Nick to grimace. “Mister Hopps… All of the Primary Nighthowler Casualties were documented to have experienced an extreme mental dissociation after they were struck with the agent in question. It was described, by one of the PCs, as being bound to a chair in a dark room, ten-feet away from a projector screen that is playing a video of what your body is doing on autopilot. Every single PC, including yours truly, was a prisoner in their own minds and had to watch instances, and attempted instances, of violence occur that they could not stop.” He whispered the entire explanation, no longer being able to look any of them in the eyes due to the tears in his own.

The Hopps’ were kind enough to allow the todd to gather himself so that he did not swallow his tongue while trying to clear the lump in his throat. Once he was centered again, we noticed that Judy’s parents were on edge. Noses twitching. He shot a glance at Judy to see her very obviously blinking at him. It he had not felt so bad emotion, he probably would have laughed at her attempt to be discreet. A second later, his eyes began to ache from the constriction in his pupils and he wiped his face down to ease the feeling.

“I apologize. _That_ also happens sometimes. It’s something that I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.” Nick said quickly.

“From the Howlers?” Bonnie asked.

“Yes.” The todd confirmed, turning to a little humor. “Any extreme elevation in emotion causes it, as far as the doctors have been able to tell me. It’s just a permanent side-effect. It might make the snowball war with the Farber kits a little bit of a short, dull affair.”

“Yeeeah…” Stewart chuckled awkwardly. “Maybe we shouldn’t do that. The sheriff would be out here so fast.”

That made Nick chuckle loudly in embarrassment. He would love to join in with the kits as long as he knew they would not be frightened by the sight of his eyes. The occasional transition spooked a lot of adults.

“Anyway. Judy explained a bit about the noise and your concerns about what happens at night. We couldn’t have you sleeping in the barn. So, the lads and I got to looking at the schematics of the warren and found that Judy’s room was originally built in the initial perimeter of the structure. It meant that we were able to shift some of her stuff around and dig through the back wall to build a custom room. It had a proper door that can only be accessed through her room and we soundproofed it.” Stu explained, pulling out a piece of paper to show them all the construction blueprint for the work.

The todd was in shock at the dedication to kindness that the Hopps family was showing him. Quite frankly, he would have been glad to repay the kindness of simply being allowed to come out by sleeping under the truck in the yard. They had allowed him spans of time to be many miles away from the city and that meant the world to Nick. Judy was positively beaming at her parents now.

“If I find out that you went to sleep in the barn, I’ll whack you with my rolling pin, Nicholas. Don’t tempt me.” Bonnie said firmly, pointing a fuzzy paw at the room he was allowed.

“Sir. Ma’am. There was no need to go to such lengths.” He replied seriously, feeling his ears pin back.

“Oh, hogwash. It only took, like, two-hours to put together. It didn’t even dent the supplies that we keep on hand to expand the warren when we have new litters. The room is fully furnished even, thanks to our boy Fredrick. He’s a mean carpenter.” Stu boasted before nudging his wife with a grin. “The supplies have to be kept close at paw. After all, Judy’s favorite parents are still as randy as ever.”

“Sweet carrots, dad! Don’t tell us things like that!” Judy blurted out, blushing like crazy while trying to cover Nick’s ears roughly. “Don’t listen to them, Slick.”

“Anyway. Judy, go get him set up. Get some sleep. We’ll reconvene in the morning for breakfast, right here, after tonight’s lessons are complete.” Stu said with a chuckle.

Nick groaned out a laugh, unable to restrain teasing Judy a little, while her parents took to their paws and began to head out.

“Multiplication lessons, I presume, Sir?” The todd asked with a barely restrained giggle.

“Aye! You’re catching on, son!” Stu said jovially, hooking Bonnie around the waist and ignoring the back-pawed slap to the shoulder as she laughed at their daughter. The poor doe was tugging at her ears now.

 _“Nick!”_ Judy whined. “Don’t egg him on!”

“Good night, you two. Don’t stay up too late now.” Bonnie called, following her husband out of the kitchen.

The duo listened to Judy’s parents retreat down the hall, quietly teasing each other about the upcoming nighttime activities, while the doe glared at the chuckling fox. Nick took one of the bottles of water from the center of the table, near a beautiful arrangement of flowers held within a vase, before taking his medication swiftly.

“Come on, dumb fox. Now that you’ve thoroughly embarrassed me, it’s time that you went to bed. I know you didn’t sleep on the train.” Judy said, standing up from the bench and waiting on Nick collect his guitar.

“In my defense, your father started it.” Nick grinned.

“Well, at least you and the kits will get along swimmingly. You act like one, after all.” Judy teased.

Nick made no reply as Judy led them down the halls of the warren. They were lit just so, not that Nick needed it. His night vision showed him beautiful colors on the walls and simple decorations. There were intricate pieces of wood furniture set about in rooms adjacent to the main hall. It tickled a curiosity in the todd. The rabbits of the house were adept in many things, in all likelihood, and it made him wonder if they produced all of the sets themselves. It would have required timber, which would have likely been cut from the forest to also make way for additional farmland. It made him think about the blueberries. The harvest was probably over, but Lion Christ, he wanted some blueberries.

The corridor led to a spiral staircase and led further into the depths of the warren. After six cycles, Judy stepped into another hall as Nick watched the staircase lead much further below. The process was simple enough really. He’d easily be able to find his way back on his own if necessary. Judy stopped at the T-intersection and motioned both ways with her paws. In front of them was a split shower hall entrance.

“Level-Six houses the I- and J-Halls with the latter being on the right. At the end of each hall are unisex bathrooms. The showers and baths are here, which are also unisex.” Judy explained before grinning teasingly. “All these years at the Springs will have prepared you.”

“You act as if the sight of an endless sea of bunny butts would bother me, Fluff.” Nick fired back.

Judy laughed before leading him down J-Hall without further delay. Twelve doors down and on the “back wall” of the hallway, they arrived at a door with the doe’s name on it. Well, on a nice ornate plaque centered prominently. The todd was distracted by the idea of taking a shower before laying down to sleep. Unfortunately, the medicine was taking a toll on him already.

There was a bit of surprise written on Nick’s face at the sight of Judy’s room. He had not expected near as much of a little doe’s touch by way of the hues of purple and sparkly things. Bookshelves were stuffed with kind stories and fairytales while a desk sat in a corner of the room covered in knick-knacks and small plushies. The bed was adorned with a green and blue comforter to mimic that of the forests and the skies above. Two pillows sat at the headboard with even more little bunny plushies surrounding them. There were recruiting posters from the Department and of the pop-sensation Gazelle, some colored string-lights around the upper edges of the room, and an odd flag hung off of the door to what Nick assumed was the closet.

Surely enough, there was also a freshly placed door at the back of the room and in front of it was both of their bags. Nick approached the door with a bit of trepidation: he had never spent time in a residence below ground. Not in a warren, or a burrow, nor in a den before. His room seemed and sounded like a kind-of dungeon. The todd turned the doorknob and stepped inside to find a very quaint room within. It was vibrant in greens and browns to put the mind at ease if the underground bothered the mammal. Nick’s focus on the room was interrupted by Judy’s sudden poking of the todd’s shoulder.

“Are you coming to tuck me in, Carrots?” Nick teased.

“Move your fluffy tail, Slick. My parents clobbered a hole in my wall, and I want to see what they made. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen construction inside the warren like this.” Judy said eagerly.

The todd laughed, letting the doe inside while arranging his duffle near the foot of the dresser. The guitar was placed against it in the corner, as well. He would unload his clothes later but took a moment to remove his sidearm and unload it before placing it in the topmost drawer of the dresser itself. What had not gone unnoticed was that there were deadbolt locks on the door itself: offering both internal and external configurations if needed. He just needed to find a key. Nick would feel comfortable with leaving his weapon stored if he was able to lock everything up: as opposed to carrying it around until a suitable place was found for it during his stay. It was a logistical issue that he needed to address with Stu in the morning.

“It’s certainly above and beyond.” Nick commented, looking around as he removed a fresh shirt and his bathroom bag from his duffle. “It was certainly not the lengths that I would have ever thought someone would go to for me.”

Judy spun around, near to the end of the bed, and grinned widely. “My parents are awesome, huh? I mean, look at this room!” She stated excitedly.

“You’ll have to tell me what they might like for Christmas, as well.” The todd mentioned, his gaze and paw running over the carved details of the dresser. “I’m going to grab a quick shower, Carrots. Can you find the key to the door, please? We need to be able to keep my sidearm secure in here.”

“I’ll take care of it, Nick. Go get cleaned up, ok?” Judy said. “And, if I’m asleep, lock the main door when you come back.”

The todd felt her eyes roam his figure for a split second before meeting his gaze. A small grin formed while she suddenly became shy from being caught. Of course, the little devils in his head were making a ruckus about potentially being sought after by Judy.

The exit out of the room was without a sound while his tail followed along, flicking in a gentle alertness due to the dimness within the hall. It was curious to Nick that there were no bunnies out and about in the main house. The hour was still fairly early, the harvest was likely over, and Nick’s only guess was that most of the kits from the upper halls were of the Hopps’ eldest litters. So, most of them may have had their own warrenss nearby, lived elsewhere entirely, or were off to college.

 _Or… they’ve been traveling back and got in earlier,_ Nick thought to himself.

A hung curtain stood at the passage to the wash areas. It reminded Nick of some of the old European and Japanese styles for the bathhouses. More simplicity for more mammals, possibly. Nick followed the signs to the shower hall, grabbing a towel off of a rack and taking note of all important information in the area. Where the laundry belonged, the cupboards that had relevant fur-wash necessities, a row of fur-dryers, and even lockers for personal property. Once he found a shower that was of the appropriate height, Nick stripped down and took his shower quickly. He was curious to see what kind of bath setup the place had, but that would wait until he had the time to soak.

The whole ordeal was mechanically handled. Nick could feel his mind fighting back against the medication in an effort to keep awake. Once he threw on his new t-shirt, Nick recalled that he had forgotten to stow his brush in the bathroom bag. The mirror showed that his neck fur was jutting out from under the collar. It was winter and his first with a desired partner on his mind. It was the most “ready” for the season that the todd had ever looked. To those who knew canine physiology, it would be blatantly obvious that Nick was pining after someone. Ignoring the way he looked in the mirror, Nick took up his toothbrush and finished what he needed to do at the sinks. Finally, he took a leak and headed back to the room.

Nothing was out of the ordinary in the hallway again. No chittering of chatter from Hopps clan-members and no doors oddly left open from a wayward resident. Judy’s door was still slightly ajar, as he had left it, so Nick slipped inside and closed it behind him. The door was locked to keep others from bothering the pair when the sun rose. Nick imagined that there would be a horde of kits that would have bombarded the poor doe with ‘good mornings’ and questions if they left it open.

Nick was not surprised to find that Judy had laid down and fallen asleep from the exhaustion of the past days. She had been a whirlwind of emotion and preparation for the holiday journey: nearly driving him up the wall several times as she harped on the todd’s packing habits. Nick’s paws had halted their drive to his own bed. The doe had a sheen of sweat on her pretty face. He looked around for a moment before smiling a little.

The todd quietly collected all of the little rabbit plushies and arranged them around the doe’s upper torso until she blended in seamlessly. If one did not pay close attention, they would not even notice there was a sleeping bunny in the pile of plushies. Once his task was complete, Nick pulled the comforter over her to keep her adequately warmed. Leaning over, he placed a tender kiss on her forward before slipping away to his room. He changed into his sleeping shorts and removed his shirt before curling up into his own bed. Moments later, he was fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Off to Bunnyburrow we go already. For the Thanksgiving holiday, no less. I have some work to do to kind of mold the holiday to the world.


	9. Doors & Corners II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to mention that I'm on FF.net now. If you have friends who prefer it there, make sure to have them swing by _Revisions_ under the handle **TheUnknown3-1**. Chapters will be posted there roughly 24-hours after they first appear here and it will remain as the secondary site because of some of the dislikes that I have with it.

The morning approached Nicholas Wilde carefully. There was none of the usual dim sunlight to accent the room around him while his brain went through the motions of starting up. Warm air blew through the vent on the ceiling with a gentle sound. He could hear that much. There was nothing else in the bedroom to break the stillness. The todd opened his eyes to find the enhanced darkness bleary, which caused him to blink several times. Another moment passed and his nose took over. Alerts popped up by way of his synapses. Nick’s body unfurled from the normal donut that he slept in to keep warm. Rising up in the bed, the todd found himself amongst a sea of Judy’s plush bunnies. There had to have been as many as he had seen in her room during the previous evening and they all smelled of the doe’s scent.

Earthy moss accentuated by unknown flowers.

 _Did she_ mark _these?_

Nick leaned down to sniff a familiar looking plush, not being able to help the fact that it was causing his foxhood to swell within his sheath. It was confusing and thrilling to smell. It was as if the doe had scented each of the dolls purposefully for him. He dared not curse Karma despite the frustration of not being able to slake the desire in his loins. There would be no explaining away _that_ scent in the room.

Instead, the todd slipped from under all of the plushies and off the bed whilst on all fours. As quietly as his popping joints and aching back would allow for, of course. Nick slipped around the room to change into proper day-clothes, trying not to think about his desires, and applied Musk Mask. Considering what he wanted to do, Nick decided to stow his phone in his pocket and grab his bathroom bag before taking off into the hallways. With all of the little plushies surrounding him, Nick knew that Judy was up and nowhere to be found on the Sixth Floor. Upon opening the door, he found that the difference was literally nighttime versus daytime hours. There were several dozen bunnies of all ages making their way through the hall and rooms within.

Ever the hustler, Nick attempted to look as inconspicuous as possible while exiting Judy’s room. It had not occurred to him earlier exactly _how_ that would look. The todd could only hope that enough of his backstory and Stu’s construction endeavors had made it around the warren. No doubt, though, there would be some that would have the wrong idea about the sight of a fox leaving, possibly, the most famous of Hopps’ rooms. That thought made him wonder how famous Judy even was to her own family.

The walk to bathroom was interesting enough. He kept his ears high enough to not be thought of as eavesdropping, but his tail gave away the trepidation he was feeling. He received several ‘hellos’ and kind waves from older kits and received just as many entertained gazes of gossiping does… They were more likely than not talking about the precise location of which he had come from. Judy had mentioned that the Hopps family featured well over 325 siblings now. The rumor mill would be worse here than at the station.

The mental understanding of all the bunnies in the corridor had not really clicked in Nick’s mind until he entered the bathroom. He had talked a big game the night before. The sheer amount of bunny butts, that one floor could apparently contain, did ruffle his fur a bit. He found the same mirror as he had stood before in the evening to be a great comfort. The focus on wetting down his fur and brushing his teeth allowed the todd to center himself again. He wanted to make a good first day-time impression, after all. He finalized his affairs in the bathroom by stowing his bag in one of the lockers: utilizing one of the tied-up pens and sticky notes to designate the locker as his for the time being. Once that was complete, he resolutely ignored the stares of the bunnies in the area and headed upstairs to the kitchen.

The hallways through the main house were even more thoroughly swamped with bunnies. Tall and short, thin and fat, and nearly of all the colors. He was actually surprised that there were some rebels who had fur-dyes and piercings. Of course, with that many kits, the desire to stand out and be different was bound to happen. Nick tried to suppress a grin as he thought about there having been a memo that had gone out to the family about his stay in the warren. There were several Hopps’ kits staring, but most of them paid him no mind, and the younger of the kits watched him walk through the areas with slightly more interest than their older siblings. The todd did notice that there were a couple of small “teams” following him around.

But, a slap on the back brought him from his thoughts. Nick spin around to the left to find Robby behind him with a large grin.

“You’re lost.” The buck chuckled.

Nick opened his mouth to retort, but then began looking around. He did not recognize the area that he was indeed standing in.

“I guess so.” He scoffed at himself.

“Come on, partner. Let’s get you fed. Mom was worried because it’s so late. She wants you to get another good meal in.” Robby explained, waving the fox back the way he had already come down.

“I didn’t even look at the time.” Nick admitted, following but looking around to learn the new area.

“It’s nearly noon.” The buck said flippantly. “Judy made sure that you were able to sleep freely. There isn’t much for the males to do today anyway.”

“Why not?” Nick inquired quietly.

“Holiday prep, partner. The bucks usually watch the kits to keep from getting whooped out of the kitchens. The does don’t let us around any closer than a dining tables in those areas.”

The walk down the halls ended up back at the main ground level intersection and Nick knew that where he needed to go from there. Robby was happily greeting his siblings as they went, and Nick even shook a few paws in quick introduction. Thanksgiving appeared to be a very jovial time for the warren’s residents. Robby eventually led him into the main dining hall, which he had not seen before, and Nick’s jaw dropped. It was like a triple expansion on the Academy’s cafeteria. And, around the edges, there were tables full of finger foods and snacks. Apparently, absolutely no interruption to the cooking of the main meals would be tolerated.

The decorations were quite the sight, as well. The ceiling was built clear up to the top of the warren, revealing an ornate stained-glass dome overhead that the sun would shine through. The images were of golden bunnies in a field of wheat. Nicholas Wilde had an odd love-hate relationship with the nighttime these days, but he could not help but wonder what it would look like with stars in the background. Presently, there were clouds floating beyond and even birds flying around. Praise Karma, he wanted to get topside to see more.

Instead, the rest of the room came into his focus. The todd had ended up halting the following of Robby so that he could take in a greater appreciation for the decorum. The walls were painted a single color of dark mustard and held _thousands_ of pictures of the family. Hung low over some of the tables, there were flags from countries around the globe. Most of them were kingdoms by the look of the different emblems on some. Others were from New World nations. Nick only recognized a pawful. Imagery of the Three Hares from Old Europe, flags from several nations in Asia, and even the Rising Sun from the old Empire. The todd was familiar with some of the space administration logos that adorned portions of the wall. There were majorities in several nations along the West-Pacific Rim that remembered legendary rabbits and gave attributes to their lives by way of folklores of the moon. Interestingly enough, there were several non-rabbit cultures that believed rabbits were actually _from_ the moon.

 _If one of these bunnies hops up and tells me that they’re descendants of an alien race from the moon, I’ll keel over dead,_ Nick thought resolutely.

Nick had thought nothing of not being interrupted by Robby. In fact, the reverie was not broken until the todd felt a gentle paw fall into place between his shoulder blades. Again, Nick stopped and looked to see who had decided to grab his attention. Bonnie was standing near to him with an entertained grin on her muzzle while Judy giggled quietly behind her paw. And, behind the two does, there were several dozen tiny bunnies piled around their hindpaws.

“Overwhelmed yet, Slick?” Judy finally managed to ask.

“Not at all,” Nick said with a gentle smile. “This place is rather grand.”

“Lots of rabbits means lots of travelling. Most of this are souvenirs from those trips. Of course, some of them are mementos from family living abroad.” Bonnie explained.

The todd nodded in understanding before taking a knee in front of them all. The little bunny kits were enamored with the newcomer and eager to meet him. Nick had always thought to be swarmed immediately by a sea of eager bunnies, but their measured apprehension and raising was clearly keeping them in check. Nick held of a kind paw and waved at them all, watching with humor as some waved back with such enthusiasm that they fell and rolled over one another. It was quite the sight to see that they all moved amongst each other while holding a firm line in the sand.

“Everyone, this is Nick Wilde. He’s Aunt Judy’s partner at the police department in the city.” Bonnie explained to them and Nick quickly realized that the fluffle before him was not Bonnie’s kits, but her some kits’ kits. Which made her their grandmother. “Now. He’s obviously not a bunny and there are different cultural intricacies that foxes observe. He may have different rules for conduct around him than Gideon, so you better be on your best behavior. Make sure to ask permission before you do anything while playing with him. I only have two rules for you all. No playing outside right now and you are not to allow your Aunt Judy to come into the kitchens. Understood?”

The matriarch looked at Nick expectantly and he drew a blank for a moment. The todd had always been alright around kits at the Zootopian schools, but that had always been for work. These little tykes would want to play with him and that made him smile a bit. Bonnie stepped aside to let them have a better look at the red fox.

“You have rules, Mister Nick?” One tiny buck urged him on.

“Uhh…” Nick began, clearing his throat. “Go easy on the fur. And, no grabbing the tail. OK?”

Judy was standing nearby, but just barely. The doe looked like she was about to start doing some variation of that dance that she had done at the Gazelle concert. She was standing there, ears all droopy, but had a biggest, beaming look of adoration on her face – as if the sight before her was the cutest thing she had ever seen. Robby was watching the whole ordeal behind a paw to keep from snickering too loudly.

“Why not the tail, Mister Wilde?” The older buck asked, the words wheezing through his entertained laughter.

Nick shot a distinctly frustrated look his way. He most certainly did not wish to explain the nuances of red fox culture to the kits or other mammals in general. At this point of the todd’s life, that was exclusively the property of a mate. And, he had not mate. Bonnie was kind enough to thump Robby over the back of the head with a paw due to the impropriety. Not that the exchange was missed by the little ones…

“You heard the todd. Be gentle. And, no rough-housing. I’m going to go finish the dinner preparations.” Bonnie ordered seriously, turning to give the kits a hardened eye.

“Yes, Gramma Bonnie!” They all responded.

Nick side-stepped over to Robby, who was giving him a wary look, and the todd watched Bonnie walk away before wrapping an arm around the buck’s neck. He brought him down and began giving the younger buck a serious noogie while Robby tried to escape without laughing too loudly.

“What’s the problem, fox?” Robby coughed out while flailing about.

“Oh! I was simply curious if I should yank on your tail.” Nick whispered with a chuckle of his own.

“I took you more for a lady’s todd.” The buck shot back, laying into the fox with punches to the side of the russet frame. The kits were all watching and giggling at their antics. “But, if that’s the way you swing, I won’t judge.”

Nick’s eyebrow shot up as he shoved the buck away to adapt a fighting stance. He could only hope that his voice was low enough to not let his words be heard by the impressionable.

“With all of the bunnies in the warren, I wonder if they’d ever even find your corpse, wiseass.” Nick growled with a wide grin.

The buck danced around tauntingly, having as much fun as the todd was, throwing up his paws to wave a “bring it on” with his shorter paw-tips. Nick would have continued the impending sparring match, but he could feel his pupils constricting due to his elevated heart-rate and modified brain chemistry. The todd went blank while trying to blink the feeling away. Judy noticed the change in the behavior and discretely waved Robby off. The buck watched as his “opponent” closed his eyes and breathed out through clenched fangs.

“That’s enough, Robby. You guys can sharpen your skills in the ring later.” Judy walked over and hissed at the two males.

Again, Nick blinked a couple of times to watch as Judy took Robby away in a headlock. She was probably going to explain what was going on discreetly. Once the todd felt centered again, he turned around to find that the fluffle had all approached him. He could just see it on their muzzles. The innocent little kits wanted to pet his fur.

“Mister Nick?” A doe piped up. “Will you read to us or tell us stories?”

He couldn’t help but realize that it was actually later in the day to all of the other mammals, who had awakened at an appropriate hour in the morning, and that these were younger kits. They were probably past time for a nap or maybe “too old” for naps, as they saw it. They were reluctant to admit that they were tired, and Nick understood that feeling well. The todd with the utmost sincerity and nodded.

“Of course, sweetheart.” He said endearingly.

All of the baby bunnies smiled at the confirmation and a couple of them hopped over to eagerly grab his paws, leading him over to a hearth so that they could all get comfortable near the fire that was being tended to by some of the older siblings. The kits patiently waited for the todd to settle in on the floor and one of them brought over a storybook. Hell, he could not help but curl up on the floor so that the majority of his frame was available to them. Nick carefully took the book into his forepaws as he noticed the book was intricately detailed with ornate writing and drawings. No doubt a Hopps Family heirloom filled with stories for little ones.

The kits had taken his notations of care seriously and did their best to clamber over his body as carefully as possible while bringing little blankets and pillows over to gain an elevated comfort with. Had it not been for the fact that he had a mission to complete, the todd probably would have fallen asleep on the pillows that were kindly arranged near-to his head. Once the last of the more adventurous kits were settled around his chest and stomach, Nick threw his tail over them in returned kindness. They would not be able to resist the desire to grasp at the fluffy tail, but as long as they were gentle, it was fine. For all intent and purposes, he was covered in a blanket of wiggling bunnies and could not help chuckling when one or two of them tickled his winter coat.

Nick opened the book to find that it was written as a proper novel. Every so often, there would be a page that held a colorful picture to solidify the storyline further. There were portions written in Old World lapin languages that were foreign to him. The kits probably would not mind that he could not pronounce those particular texts but, of course, he would not be dissuaded from butchering the syllables. Nick flipped to the first page and began reading while some of the kits were still wriggling around to get comfortable.

Across the room, Judy looked on while her heart melted. There was no denying the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. Back when she was a kit, there would have been hell in attempting to tame rambunctious kits in their endeavors to play with a new mammal in the warren. Embarrassingly enough, she probably would have been one to be included in the tomfoolery. The amount of rough-housing the stranger would have had to endure, embarrassing to her own mother. It probably would have struck a couple of years off of her parents’ lives.

“You would have dived headlong into that foxy tail back then.” Robby sputtered, trying to regain his composure post-headlock while seemingly reading her mind.

“And, you would have tried to brawl with him despite being less than half his height.” Judy shot back.

“At least I am willing to admit that I’d be guilty.” The buck chuckled, throwing himself upright to pop his back. “The question is, will he be ‘Uncle Nick’ soon enough?”

“Shut up.” Judy said, trying to keep the heat from rising in her ears.

“I don’t even think the kits would notice his eyes, to be honest.” Robby admitted, looking on at the sight of the fox todd and his reading session. His cousins were all curled up atop of Nick while trying to peer at the pages of the book itself.

“It’s not for us. It’s for Nick,” Judy lowered her voice to a whisper. “Look at him. He would be devastated if he scared them away.”

The doe felt her younger brother take her into his arms. The buck gave her the most heartfelt hug that she had received from a sibling in years. These days, it was nothing to be different in her family. But, back on her half of the alphabet, Judy led the charge into the unknowns of life. It was not entirely proper to say that she was shunned, but she was accosted for her desires and views of the world. Of course, Judy had not been alone. Harrison, Emily, and Ethan went forth to join the top New World space administrations – including Zootopia’s. Becky had strived to normalize hospital practices between predator and prey at the Health & Mammal Services Administration, and she had succeeded in that endeavor long before Judy was even born. A couple of others from the A- and C-litters moved to the United Mammalian States of America proper shatter the molds of the Old-World ideologies when Zootopia wasn’t ready for it. Serendipity knew that Nick could attest to the fact that Zootopia’s motto was simply for show in its early years. It was always said that the point of the Hopps Farm was to mold Zootopia in its own way, but the years before her time were spent putting them in a financially advantageous position with the least strife to the new family. Fortunately, the Hopps Family was molded by the mindset of half of Zootopia while presenting their own offerings to the city.

Judy was proud to see how far her family had come since her kithood. The evidence was lying in a grey-brown-black-white puddle of kits that nearly engulfed the russet mountain of fur across the room. The doe felt herself drawn across the room until she dropped to the floor near the todd’s shoulder. Nick’s emerald eyes found hers for a split second while a kind smile fell on his lips, contorting with each word of the story that he was telling. Eventually, Judy found herself being inundated by more nieces and nephews who had decided that it was story time. A few of them formed a puddle in her lap as they got comfortable.

Judy watched as Nick steadily fell under the weight of all the little bunnies on top of him. He had laid his head out on a pillow while holding the book out in front of him in both paws. Danelle, one of her brother Carter’s kits, had decided to flop down on top of the todd’s head, between his ears, so that she had the prime spot to read along with the storyteller fox. The tone of his voice was becoming monotone, soothing Judy’s mind while causing her to drift off here and there. After quite a bit of time, the doe noticed that Nick had stopped reading altogether. All of the members of the large, multi-colored puddle were asleep. Judy pulled out her phone and shockingly found that it was nearly two in the afternoon.

Time marched on resolutely.

A suppressed whine within Nick’s chest made her sit upright suddenly, rousing the little buns that were laying on top of and around the doe. Nick did not normally have time to nap and it was far too early for a dose of his medication. Judy quickly crawled over to encompass his head with her body. It surprised the doe to find that he was completely asleep and limp in her paws as she began brushing his fur.

Danelle had rolled off of Nick’s ear while Judy focused on keeping the todd calm. It had awoken the small doe and forced her to climb over the fox’s shoulder to get on Judy’s strong side out of confusion. The storyteller was asleep, but he sounded distressed and full of fear. Gentle yips and growls were very foreign to the kit’s ears. The sounds were starting to wake her other siblings in the pile. Danelle reached out and tugged on Judy’s ear softly.

“Auntie?” The kit asked tentatively.

“It’s alright, Dani.” Judy whispered, choking up a little.

“Are we hurting Mister Nick?” Danelle asked, ready to hustle all of the other kits off of the fox at a moment’s notice.

“No, no. Nick just doesn’t sleep well.” The older doe gasped at the simplicity of the statement, feeling tears running down her cheeks. “He’s having a nightmare and he needs us to be here for him.”

Judy watched as the lines of Nick’s face were beginning to tighten, lips drawing up to reveal his fangs as his paws withdrew underneath his chest. He was being pulled deeper into the meadow and the sight was shattering Judy’s heart. It had been weeks since she had last attempted to distract Nick’s subconscious, but she still remembered that her scent seemed to work. The doe carefully curled up along Nick’s muzzle and rested her throat against the end of his snout while hugging it in her paws. She felt Nick huff at the suddenness of fur being brushed up against his nose before letting out a deeper whine than before.

“Aunt Judy!” Dani whispered, having reclaimed her spot on top of Nick’s head. “Do foxes sleep in piles?”

The simplicity of the question made Judy giggle wetly. “I don’t think they do. But, I do think that Nick would appreciate all of the affection.” She whispered back.

All of the newly awakened kits began to pile up on Nick’s slumped shoulders and head, a couple even draping themselves over his snout and Judy herself. The doe felt the todd snuffle her fur and grunt from a particularly rough kit crawling on top of his neck. This, just before the scenting of the doe clicked in Nick’s mind. His subconscious caused the todd’s tongue to gently lash against at Judy’s exposed neck, no doubt feeling her pulse under the fur. With one more sniff, the todd settled down, melting against the pillow he was laying on. And, that was when Danelle started giggling uncontrollably. Judy tried to play it off while rolling her eyes, but the kit continued to chitter away while pointing down on her aunt.

“Aunt Judy got licked.” The kit teased.

 _“Ewwww!”_ Several of the kits groaned quietly, watching their trapped aunt intently.

Judy patiently brushed Nick’s snout for the next hour until the kits became restless enough to start tussling on top of the todd’s frame. Eventually, Nick began to groan from the constantly shifting weight of the kits. Then, the todd rose up on all fours and stretched out languorously with a wide yawn. The kits that had been on his back rolled off with giggles and shouts of play-stricken happiness. Once his eyes popped open, Nick looked around and down, surprised to find Judy laying below him on a pillow. Nick was the far more surprised of the two, scenting tears on her and noticing that the fur of her neck was smeared a bit. There was no denying what had happened in her sleep and plenty of eyes who were entertained by seeing it.

However, the younger ones did not see the looks of interest and longing that passed between the two for a mere moment. Nick raised his forepaw and Judy immediately rolled away with an embarrassed smile on her muzzle. As soon the doe was clear of the todd, all of the kits decided that the todd was the proper target for a post-nap wrestling match. With a surprised shout, Nick was brought down in a fit of laughter. The kits played with each other in an effort to be king or queen of ‘Fox Hill’ as they had decided to designate Nick. Danielle was happily holding the high ground atop of Nick’s back with challenges and giggles.

Nick was preoccupied by the youngest of bunnies. He had swept up in a little ring with his forepaws to keep them safe from their older counterparts. Some of them were not even able to speak yet, which meant that they were far more likely to be found under paw accidently than not. There was an innate urge to keep them safe. Even if they _were_ tugging at his whiskers and pulling at his lips to see his fangs. Judy watched on while Nick poked them with his nose when it became slightly painful, or tickled them with his paws, while the kits laughed joyously at Nick’s antics. It didn’t stop them from poking at his mouth or fiddling with his paws.

“Oh, you little bunnies. You’re so weird sometimes…” Nick grumbled, causing Judy to laugh a bit. “What is it about my teeth, hm?”

Judy decided that she needed to rouse Robby from his sleep, seeing as he had not been helping with watching the kits a single bit since Nick began reading the story, and then she waved and brushed the little ones away from Nick so that he could stand properly. The kits all giggled and fled far enough away to not be bothered further by their aunt. The poor todd’s back popped angrily as he stood up.

“Come on, Slick. Let’s go see what’s up in the kitchen.” Judy urged.

“You don’t believe that your mother will lop my head off for being in there?” Nick inquired jokingly.

They had walked a way’s down the hall before Judy turned to face him. Nick had followed far enough behind to continue gazing at the amazing sights of Judy’s family home and he did not bump into the doe.

“Don’t do that, Nick.” Judy spoke softly, looking the fox directly in the eyes.

The todd’s brow cocked up a bit. “Fluff?” He asked.

“This is a safe place for us – for _you!”_ The doe said seriously, pulling his arm to bring him to a knee. “Please. Do _not_ hide behind the mask.”

Nick smiled softly, looking at the most important friend of his whole life before shaking his head.

“There’s no mask here, Carrots. There can be _no mask_ here. This, I promise you.” Nick said honestly. “Robby merely mentioned the males weren’t allowed in there.”

The admission surprised Judy, by the look of things. Nick could see that she had believed the todd to be wearing his mask, so he adorned an honest smile to convince her. It made the doe soften at the sight and it made her deflect.

“You licked me in your sleep, dumb fox!” Judy retorted in embarrassment.

“I noticed.” Nick chuckled, equally embarrassed by the fact. He could not stifle the shame either as his voice became barely more than a whisper. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Just tell me that I didn’t harm any of them.”

Judy drew closer to wind herself around Nick’s neck as his paws raised to wrap around her more lithe frame. He could have sworn that the doe began purr in their embrace but was not sure if that was the actual case or not.

“You didn’t. You were looking for me.” Judy reassured Nick tenderly. “They did decide to create a pile to protect you.”

“A pile?” Nick questioned.

Judy released Nick with a small smile, looking over to point at another group of rabbits just inside the main dining hall. Nick followed her gaze until he found them with his own eyes. Sure enough, another group bunnies were sleeping on a large pile on the floor. On top of the older siblings that were tasked with watching them.

“That is a fluffle and they sleep in a pile for comfort and warmth. Rabbits can detect when others are in pain, Nicholas. They wanted to make sure you were safe.” Bonnie explained from nearby, having watched for a considerable amount of time without their knowledge. “I will not lie to you; it makes me nervous.”

The todd spun around to find the matriarch near to a corner of the hall, leading down to the kitchen, and immediately straightened up, clasping his paws behind his back as if he were standing at parade-rest before the Chief during a ceremony. It took a moment to gather his breath before speaking.

“At the risk of speaking out of turn, Ma’am… There isn’t a mammal here who is more nervous than me.” He said honestly.

Bonnie glared at taller fox while a smile played on her lips. “The only thing you risk is a wooden spoon racked across your paw if you don’t start using my name.” She said, serious about the request, but not about the punishment.

Nick grinned and winked at Bonnie. “I could be bribed with a piece of blueberry pie.” He said with a chuckle. Judy quickly boxed the todd despite her mother’s laughter.

“Come along. I have two very _skinny_ kits to feed.” Bonnie said.

The duo followed behind the older doe, Judy still popping Nick in the arm while Nick flicked his tail near her nose teasingly. They were trying to stifle their school-kittish giggles from each other’s actions. Bonnie dutifully ignored them until they researched the main kitchen, allowing for them to sit at the short table within before taking a seat herself.

The kitchen was filled with chattering voices and the sounds of utensils being used in pots and pans for the evening’s dinner. There was potato peeling and boiling, and Nick was impressed by the sight of all the bunnies whisking about the kitchen floors. Some of them took long enough to note his new presence and wave a greeting, to which he responded in kind with a smile. The others were deep in their work and it was not a slight that they did not notice him. It reminded Nick of his younger years with his parents. Only, there were a whole lot more siblings. Scents flourished in the room and caused the todd’s nose to flare with each intake of breath. The sound of a plate being set before him brought his eyes back to the pair of does at the table. There was a piece of blueberry pie on the plate.

“Go on, Slick.” Judy urged, digging into her own piece of pie.

Nick nodded once and took a bite for himself. The flavor seeped throughout his maw, soaking every taste bud on his long tongue. The slightly sweetened, sour burn of the blueberry was accented with the flaky crust surrounding it. He was well and truly bribed. As she had before, Bonnie was watching Nick intently and neutrally.

“Are you sure there’s nothing here that I can help with?” Nick asked between bites.

“You and Judy only have one thing that you need to focus on, Nicholas. You both need to rest. Even after a night and a nap, both of you still look exhausted.” Bonnie said seriously, drawing a little circle in the air in front of her eyes. She was indicating that they had darkened rings and bloodshot eyes. “Did you not sleep well?”

“I did.” Nick nodded shortly.

“And, the nightmares?” Bonnie inquired further.

“Not last night.”

“You seek out my daughter in your dreams.” The older doe spoke softly.

Nick’s breathing caught and was expelled in a heavy shudder as he nodded again, slower then than before. Judy found her own breath being held as the two does watched the todd. He looked nearly shattered by the thought of what usually occurred in those nightmares.

“I’ve spent the nights of last two-years, more often than not, trying to save and protect your daughter in those dreams. In my dreams, there’s two halves of me. Like the tales of the Black and White Wolves. Opposites of the same mammal.” Nick explained, watching the table as he subconsciously began scratching at well-worn tabletop with claw. “Half the time… the _other_ has already killed her. The other half-time, the bastard stands in my way of finding her. So, I fight him… But, I have never seen the end of that fight. Not in a win, anyway.”

“Why not?” Bonnie asked, softening her tone as she noticed how despondent Nick was becoming.

“If I’m that deep, I usually wake from my own screaming and howling. The darkness overwhelms me at some point during the fight, or I’m about to die, and then I fall.” Nick said, looking up at Bonnie without any further care. He never imagined that such a short conversation could drain him so much. “Like I was thrown from the top of the Climate Wall itself.”

The look of contemplation on Bonnie Hopps face was tinged with equal parts sadness and understanding. Or realization. Maybe the latter could be used interchangeably. Nick was not sure he could ascertain the exactness through a mere gaze at the older doe’s amethyst eyes. Karma had demanded the truth from him, but the todd knew there would be no payment of being able to read the bunnies within the warren. The Rule of Three would apply later, at some point.

“Nicholas,” Bonnie began, looking down to gather the proper words before raising a curious paw. “Why would you go out of your way to protect Judy back then? I think I understand why after your induction to the ZPD. But, before?”

Nick knew that there was no hiding the soft, endearing smile that creased his lips. It did not reach his eyes as they were tinged with a bit of sadness.

“Do you want the explanation with or without the foxy lore?” Nick asked, chuckling softly as he brought his paws up together on top of the table.

“Isn’t the lore always more fun?” Bonnie laughed aloud with him.

“In that case,” Nick said, taking a sip of some milk that was provided for his pie. “I assume that Karma was displeased with the way that I was living my life. I had forsaken the Rule of Three’s. I committed three transgressions against other mammals in the city instead of doing right by them. I _think_ that Karma conspired with Serendipity to send me an envoy. And, by Karma, that _envoy_ was a sassy, hot-head, if there ever was one!”

Judy was at a loss, feeling her ears growing hot as her mother and the todd began laughing. The doe had never known her mother to read into such slyness and adapt it for her own in an effort to entertain herself by embarrassing her own daughter. And, yes, Bonnie was doing just that. Knowing that Nick would gleefully accept and assist. She could not even muster the effort to slug the todd for aiding and abetting her mother. Nick’s information was Bonnie’s, by request.

“I stand by Judy now, as I stood for her then, because she saw more of me than what I lived for – at the time – and she needs someone to watch her back. Because nobody was watching your daughter’s back when I met her. She trusted me, and I trust her. I shall remind you that this is to include the lore of foxes, thus I won’t lie to you by telling you that I’m terribly religious. I’m not and would hate to sound as if I am. I simply believe in the Rule of Threes. Karma requires a duty to dedication unto her envoy. Even more startling, an envoy of _two_ of the Goddesses. Judy Hopps has helped me turn my life around.” Nick explained with both firmness and humor. He was a ladies-mammal: loving to see the smiles of those that deserved it. The smile ended up being stricken with irony. “But, Karma is _still_ owed. I did not get to control the threat of violence against your daughter in that pit. That decision was stolen from me. And, Karma has seen fit to haunt me with an ending that didn’t occur and only until Karma decides otherwise.”

“I see,” Bonnie said with a nod. “You will have to tell us more about Karma and her ways at some point.”

“Of course. Whenever it’s quiet enough to not interrupt the work.” Nick replied. “Where’s Stu, though?”

“I sent him out to the market to find some fish. It’ll be a little late for dinner, but we wanted to make sure you had some for your stay if you’ll teach us how to prepare it.” The matriarch explained. “Judy mentioned that you liked to fish, so it felt rather important.”

“I do enjoy fishing, but you didn’t have to go that far. I’m an omnivore, after all.” Nick said, noticing that several of the kits who he had read to were crouched around the doorway. They wanted more attention from the newcomer, but their grandmother was busy with him. “I would love to be able to fish out here if there’s a place.”

“There are several ponds on the property that we could show you. But,” Bonnie began, her ears falling a little. “It’s not safe to be out in the forests and in open fields right now. The wildlife enforcement branch for the Tri-County area issued an alert that a large hawk was spotted nearby just after the harvest ended. It’s not safe to go out and we don’t let the kits go far when we do. It halted the hunting season for the local predators with the exception of a wolf family on the outskirts of Bunnyburrow.”

The todd’s ears pinned back at the news. In all of his years, there had only been two Raptor Alerts in all of Zootopia and both of those times were when he was incredibly young. The first was of an eagle that lurked in Tundratown one winter and a couple of years later, an owl used the edges of the Rainforest District to hunt in the Meadowlands. Both birds had to be killed due to their wild nature. But, in the Tri-Burrow area? A hawk was in the most perfect of locations to hunt their historic food sources. Some birds-of-prey had even preyed on foxes according to the history books. That made him nervous… More so for the bunnies than for himself.

“I would ask that you be careful and not go far from the entrances. And, please, watch out for any that are out with you.” Bonnie implored.

Nick’s face grew stony as he nodded. “Absolutely, Ma’am. You have my word.” He said, a hard edge in his voice.

The fire that was building in the todd, brought on by the need to defend those around him, was interrupted by the feeling of paws on his tail. It had been wrapped around the legs of the chair that Nick was sitting in. One of the youngest of kits, a pacifier in her mouth, had latched on to him gently. The todd scooped the little doe up and placed her on the table in front of him, as he had finished his pie already. He could not even remember finishing it due to the severity of the conversation’s turn. The little doe raised her arms and Nick brought his snout closer to her, bringing a squeal of glee to the kit as she caught his nose. Laughing at his snuffling against her clothes. Eventually, she decided that she wanted to crawl over his face until she reached the top of head, grabbing an ear to keep her steady.

“You find that Marcy is afraid of nothing, much like her Aunt Judy.” Bonnie admitted, looking as if she would binky at any moment. “You’re good with kits, Nick. Has anybody told you that?”

“Judy has, when we go to the schools for presentations and talks. Before the ZPD, I never had much interaction with kits.” Nick admitted, looking at the ceiling as he tried to make sure Marcy would not slip off his head and fall.

“Nick!” Judy said from his side. “She loves your fuzzy Doritos!”

When the todd turned his head, he heard the click of Judy’s camera phone and he groaned at the does’ laughter. Not a split second later, he heard the _whoosh_ of a message being sent and immediately knew where the photo was going. It made him wonder how mad it would make Bogo before Clawhauser gave the visual explanation.

“That was just ruthless.” Nick deadpanned to Judy, causing Bonnie to burst out with laughter.

“Well, at least, you’ll win first place in the ZPD’s _Cute Moments_ calendar that Clawhauser is producing even if you lose first place for the _other_ one.” Judy sniped, giggling at the sight of her niece. Marcy had decided to ignore the pacifier and put the tip of Nick’s ear in her mouth to nibble on.

Not even the brightness of his coat could hide the blush in his ears as the little troublemaker made bubbly noises of contentment from the top of his skull. Setting that aside, Nick was extremely happy that the kits enjoyed his presence in the warren. This, despite the drool his felt on his fur.

“Please, make sure to post that on the family Furbook group, Judy. It’s just too adorable not to share.” Bonnie requested, sending both does into further fits of giggles.

“She thinks it’s a carrot.” Judy squealed, her laughter turning into gasps and snorts.

Nick wiggled his ear a little, feeling the grabby paws catch it urgently. “I know you’re the ringleader in this, Marcy. I’ll be watching you.” He said with a sigh of resignation.

“Oh, my!” A voice sounded from the entryway.

Nick turned to find a pair of bunnies standing at the door, which was still being crowded by the other kits. They had to have been a married couple and the mother approached to assist Nick with removing Marcy.

“My apologies, Mister Wilde. My daughter is enamored with bright colors.” The doe apologized.

With a raise of his paws, Nick gently took Marcy off of his head and held her out in front of him. He could not help but smile as the kit eagerly reached out for his muzzle, trying to gain access to something that she could gnaw on, so he gave her a digit to satisfy the urge.

 _Maybe the little one is teething?_ Nick wondered.

“Miss…?” Nick said, curious of the doe’s name.

“Vera. And, this is my husband Derek Hopps. One of Judy’s older brothers.” The doe introduced the pair and making it clear that she had married into the family.

“It’s a pleasure. I imagine that the Hopps Warren News Network is what led you to know my name. Just call me Nick.” The todd said, offering a paw and a polite smile. “If you’re not worried about a fox watching your kit, I promise that she’s not bothering me one bit. I’m happy to keep an eye on her.”

To emphasize his promise, the todd used his free paw to lift the back of his t-shirt while raising Marcy up so that the baby bunny could crawl inside. The little one crawled into the space and spun around until she was laying, comfortably perched on his shoulder under the makeshift blanket. The little one had snuggled her nose into his coat and began to fall asleep after Nick provided her pacifier. While Nick had not noticed, Judy felt a little jealous of the tiny kit who had managed to sneak her way into the todd’s fur simply through a blatant request to be there. That emotion fought the sight of adorableness weakly.

“Are you sure, Mister Wilde?” Vera asked softly, looking at how her baby had taken to the fox without any fuss.

“I am. Though, I anticipate you may not receive much sleep tonight after I have to excuse myself.” Nick said softly. “If this is anything to go by, I think she’ll be rather upset to see me head to bed.”

Vera smiled a little and gave a curt nod of understanding. It was clear that her sweet daughter would not be moved without a very embarrassing amount of fuss. The mother was tired enough as it was. The little doe was, in fact, teething and not giving either of her parents a proper amount of rest. There was a need to feel a parent’s worth as much as a need for something to gnaw on. It was something that was more apparent to a rabbit than most other species. Harder still for Marcy because she was of a litter of one, as opposed to a proper group.

“Dinner won’t be ready for a couple of hours yet, Vera. Go curl up for a quick nap before that.” Bonnie finally mentioned, urging the doe to leave the kit to the original group. “Derek, honey, go rest with her. I’ll send for you both when it’s time.”

“We will, Mother. Thank you.” Derek said quietly. The buck seemed reserved and intense, but well-mannered through reservation. “And, thank you, Nick. If she gets fussy, just ask Bonnie for help.”

“I will.” Nick replied.

Vera and Derek left the trio to their content air at the table. The todd remained quiet while keeping an ear angled towards the kit on his shoulder, listening for any uncomfortable sounds intently while the two does caught up on the events of the past year since Judy had last been in the warren. Nick also listened to all the loud reports being belted out from the main kitchen about the food. He simply leaned back in the chair enough to be comfortable while waiting for the festivities to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. The Bunnyburrow arcs are going to be hefty. I don't think anybody will be complaining.
> 
> Until the next one.


	10. Chasm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A myriad of emotions came with writing this chapter. I hope that this update finds you all well regardless.

_Cracks in the walls are tearing apart,_   
_Crumbling, tumbling, breaking my heart._   
_I thought I could live inside these four walls,_   
_And, from this black prison... I bear all these scars..._   
[ **Cracks In These Walls - A Pale Horse Named Death** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_yyZFU5s5A)

Bonnie and Stewart Hopps sat that the head of the main dining table as they shared in each other’s company and ate while watching their family share in the festivities. The couple had not spoken many words since Stu returned: due to the hustle of final dinner preparations. The buck began to chuckle as he noticed the solid gaze that his wife had on Nick and Judy’s end of the table, though periodically she was look around to not seem so obvious about it. Marcy was sitting on the table, fussing that the todd would not allow her on the top of his head while he ate his supper. A lone digit of distraction was barely keeping the little one at bay. Nick’s gentleness with Bonnie’s granddaughter made her smile.

“The Militia should be on the lookout for two birds-of-prey in the Burrows.” Stu finally admitted.

Had the matriarch been closer to her husband, she would have thumped him in the arm rather harshly. Stu was absolutely right, but Bonnie was extremely concerned with the threat that the hawk presented to her family. It would have been funny had that threat not been so immediate. Bonnie also noticed that Stu had listened seriously to all the stories of Nicholas Wilde when the glare that she shot him bounced right off. It did not even diminish the grin on his muzzle. It did eventually fall away, seriousness taking over under the guise of a kind smile on the face. Bonnie could only tell by the tone of his voice. Not harsh or hostile, but firm.

“What is your opinion of him, my love?” Stu asked quietly, extremely concerned with her verdict of the fox.

“He is sweet and gentle with the little ones. I saw that this afternoon. And, there is _nobody_ here who is more afraid of harm coming to our family than he is.” Bonnie explained evenly, looking around the room with a slow scan.

“How bad is it?” The buck inquired, speaking of the nightmares.

“I don’t believe even fifteen-minutes had passed after he fell asleep. Nick might be a stony shore, but the sea is wearing him thin, Stewart.” Bonnie admitted sadly. “He’s scared to death of harming one of the kits. I’ve seen that in his eyes.”

“Serendipity demands honesty from him.” Stu responded simply.

That brought a gentle smile to Bonnie’s lips. “And Karma, if you ask him personally.” She confirmed.

“Forgive me, love. My question still hasn’t been answered.” Stu acknowledged, looking over at his beautiful wife.

“He is kind and gentle. He tempers a humble nature with his sly past, which makes his honesty funny. I think that Nick is a mammal to be thought highly of.” Bonnie explained. “And, he’s a mammal to be trusted.”

Stu nodded subtly but made no verbal reply. Bonnie knew that he was weighing the words in his mind while taking a drink of wine. Joyful voices rang through the dining hall despite their thoughts and they continued to watch over all that resided in the warren. For several minutes, the silence was held between the two.

“And, your opinion, Stu?” Bonnie asked quietly.

Stu chuckled behind a raised cup. “I’m pretty sure that todd is in love with your daughter, sweetheart.” He murmured, turning to consider his wife’s reaction. “He looks at her just as I looked at you.”

Bonnie smiled in reminiscence, turning to him. “I’m entirely sure that _our_ daughter is in love with that todd. Do we have an issue with that?” She asked in turn.

“Do we?” Stu countered.

The matriarch scoffed. “Judy’s always been different. She’ll be surprised to not be the first Hopps who was ‘intrigued’ with a predator, though. My _issue_ is that Nick hasn’t taken the hint yet.” Bonnie spoke with an amused dryness.

Stu pushed his chair back and stood up with an even more amused smile on his muzzle. The buck approached and held out his paw.

“If that’s the only problem you have, then it’s an equation for them to work out.” Stu chuckled. “Unlike bucks, a todd isn’t allowed to be so forward right off the get-go.”

The matriarch took her husband’s paw with a conspiratorial giggle, standing as subtly as she could before following him out of the dining area. Not all that far away, Nick and Robby noticed the Hopps’ seniority taking flight for the evening. The two males grinned knowingly. Judy was too busy entertaining a fluffle of kits who were piled up on her lap.

“Yo, Fluff…” Nick whispered urgently.

“Yeah, Slick?” Judy asked, looking over at the todd.

“Looks like you’ll have some more brothers and sisters here soon enough.” The todd said, trying to restrain his grin to the level of amused.

“Here’s to the kits of Spring.” Robby agreed, raising a toast which the todd responded to immediately. Their grins split wide.

“There is not a soul in the Warren that would bat an eye at the subtle disappearance of two bodies, let alone one.” Judy growled at them, embarrassed by the fact that they had notice her parent’s happy exit.

“Oh, I don’t know. They might not notice the gray one missing…” Nick said, turning to Marcy as he adopted a voice of babying. The small doe giggled and squealed as the todd tickled her stomach with a digit. “But, this little lady would certainly notice the missing red. Wouldn’t you, my little darling? _Yes, you would!”_

Nick leaned in to let Marcy finally grab on to his nose for as big a hug as the small kit could muster. Judy could not stop from snorting in annoyed amusement while watching the kit hurriedly begin to climb up Nick’s face to sit atop of his head. The todd was too far food-comatose to bother trying to dissuade the kit from doing so and made sure that she was carefully perched so that she would not fall off.

“Robby,” Nick said, looking over. “I heard some of your siblings mention that you were heading for Zootopia soon?”

“Yes, I am.” The buck admitted with a wide grin. “I start a new job out there in a couple of weeks.”

“If you don’t already have living accommodations, I know of a nice place down the street from us where I lived. It’s an apartment complex, but it’s in a safer part of town.” The todd explained. “I’m not sure about the logistics to your work location, but public transit is plentiful.”

“That would be awesome!” Robby said excitedly.

Nick pulled out his phone while listening to the content coos of Marcy on next to his ear. The little doe was finally curled up and happy enough to sleep where she was finally allowed. Flicking through his contacts, Nick provided both his personal cell number as well as Tracy Hudson’s work number. Robby seemed like he could use some help in the city and Nick was happy enough to see a debt repaid to the squirrel in the process.

Awhile later, and after much discussion of the city with Robby, Vera approached Nick so that she could bring Marcy to bed. The todd had to pin his ears back and lower his head so that the mother could collect her kit. Marcy was so deeply asleep that she did not even notice being moved around, and Vera thanked him for being so kind in watching her kit for the afternoon. After they were gone, Nick rolled his head around to pop his aching neck. Dinner was over and the designated clean-up teams were already at work. It was not exactly late in the evening, but many of the Hopps’ family were heading off for bed due to the extent of their day.

“I think it’s time to get cleaned up and hit the sack.” Nick admitted, pushing his seat out before standing up. He took one last drink of water before setting the glass down again.

“Thanks for helping out this afternoon, partner. Get some rest tonight.” Robby said, raising his glass in gratitude.

“No problem.” Nick replied, ruffling Judy’s ears before heading off to the stairs. “Night, Carrots.”

Judy took the time to ball up a napkin and toss it after the todd for messing up her fur. It landed short and he never even noticed. The doe turned back to finish some of the casserole on her plate while noticing that Robby was grinning at her.

“He’s bad enough… Of course, you’d be taking cues from him.” Judy admonished her brother.

Robby chuckled a little, picking at his own plate. “Are you ever going to tell him?” He asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Judy deflected.

“Oh, come on. I was raised on stories of you. The _indomitable_ Judy Hopps. You never shied away from your pursuits to be a police officer for the ZPD. Why are you getting hung up about telling him how you feel?” Robby said in deadpan, not impressed by her attempts.

Judy’s ears fell back as her anger rose for a moment, though flowing back on itself in the remembrance that she was with someone who she could trust. Her brother was not there to belittle her. At least, not this particular brother.

“I’ve been asking around for information. Studying, if you will. I don’t want to make a mistake. This isn’t like the ZPD.” Judy said with a firm, hushed tone.

Despite the fact that he was younger than Judy, there was a distinct difference between Robby and his sister. The buck had been in love before and he had never heard of his older sister being that deeply intimate with any other mammal before. Most would brush his experience away dismissively because of his younger age or because they were his age and had fewer clues than Judy. Robby would not be abrasive with or belittle his sister; unlike his friends who needed a joyful kick in the ass on occasion.

“You can’t treat your desires like a police academy exam.” Robby explained gently, wringing his paws a little as he looked at them. “Love is supposed to be spontaneous. And, that means you will make mistakes. That is not supposed to be circumvented and ignored. You won’t always resolve things perfectly, but the problems that are resolved end up making things so much sweeter. You can do you research, but you’re ignoring your best source.”

Judy was still staring at the entryway corner where she had seen Nick’s tail disappear through. The doe knew that her brother was right and knew that he had more experience with matters of the heart. Comparatively, nearly every other of-age Hopps had more experience than her in that regard. She had been with a couple of bucks before. They were an end to a means, though. They did not have a desire to see her succeed her in dream while fulfilling the goal of marrying her and she did not love them. She had needed to stay the rising tide of stresses due to the home-life or the studying and once that was taken care of, there was nothing else. The love of her job had been the only thing that kept the stresses at bay for nearly four-years since her last partner.

“So, what do you suggest I do? Hm?” Judy asked evenly, feeling her blood pressure rising.

“Tell him your love him and jump his bones.” Robby drawled, grinning past his drink.

“Cheese and crackers, Robby!” Judy lurched out of her chair, hissing angrily. “Nick’s not a buck!”

Robby remained calm in his seat, trying to come up with a new plan. It was so obvious how deeply Judy cared for Nick, but he had miscalculated how deeply she was in love with the todd. After a moment, Robby stood up from his seat and gathered his older sister into a hug. He felt the doe slump against him in resignation.

“No. He’s not a buck. And, I understand that there are prerequisites that have to be met for foxes.” Robby explained. “But, you need to go get him in your own way. Blaze your own trail as you have always done…”

“And, you better hurry up before one of your other _adventurous_ sisters takes a swing.” Robby finally chuckled, rubbing Judy’s back playfully.

“Are you cabbage-plucking serious?” Judy asked in exasperation.

That brought a laugh to Robby’s lips as he released the doe so that he could take a look at her.

“Afraid so. Heard that some does visiting J-Hall’s shower hall got an eyeful of his fluffy tail this morning and they were not displeased.” Robby explained, smiling. “And a lot more have questions when you have the time.”

“I bet they do.” Judy voiced dryly. “It’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Or, preferably, never.”

“I’ll see if Rachel and Sophia can get Amber to help with running interference. Other than that, I wish you luck. Anyway, I’m going to get back to checking my work correspondence. Good night, Judes.” Robby said, patting her on the shoulder before stepping away.

“Night!”

~~~~~~~~~

Thanksgiving night was not as kind to Nick as he had hoped it would be. A pawful of hours of sleep after taking to the sheets, he ended up waking up just after midnight. The subterranean nature of the warren precluded the ability to check his phone for messages and he had not inquired about the Wi-Fi password so that he could surf the internet. The todd was illuminated by the lamplight as he surfed through a saved playlist of songs that he heard in various places around Zootopia. He would tune in to a nearby radio when one was in range and listen to see if anything interesting piqued his interest. A song at the café or coffee shop here, one tune from the radio in the precinct breakroom there. The music was played through his Bluetooth earbuds while he was hunched over the acoustic guitar, flipping through the different playlists for different music genres and emotional states. He could sleep and Stu had mentioned at the room was soundproofed. Nick was going to take advantage of that for music, if at all possibly.

The problem was that nothing was catching his attention. Not anything new and nothing that he usually played at the stillhouse would make his paws move.

Knowing that it was not his night, Nick laid the guitar aside and shut off the electronics. He laid back amidst the large pile of plushies, which still brought a smile to his muzzle every time he looked at or thought of them and began thinking about the holiday season. Namely, Nick was considering what he could get Judy for Christmas. He knew a decent amount of fox culture gift-giving and had done all the research that he could on bunnies. Jewelry was out of the question unless they became a couple according to the vulpine way. Judy had been planted nearby for every stillhouse practice and household boredom run of songs, so a special CD of songs seemed rather weak by comparison. Clothing was rather intimate, but he was erring towards that idea because of an innate curiosity to see her in a beautiful dress. That meant a lot of legwork would have to be done. All of his father’s sources were long out of business, if not also passed on. And, she already had a fishing pole from the Riverfoots.

Half of those options were only considered because of interest that Judy showed in something that he did. On the other paw, Judy really only ever focused on work and she loved the pop-singer Gazelle. But, she needed another piece of Gazelle memorabilia like Clawhauser needed another donut. And, the doe certainly wasn’t without plushies. Nick could have gotten her a plush red fox in his visage, but that was just as out-of-bounds as jewelry. In fact, it would likely show his paw on the emotions that he held for her.

 _She’s not a vixen, though. Maybe you could approach her,_ Hope reminded him.

“Shut up.” He muttered, trying not to be distracted. _I’m busy right now. If I wanted an opinion, I’d take a number._

There was nothing else Nick could do. Hopping out of the bed, he removed his sleeping shirt and hit the floor to hammer out a few sets of push-ups. The physical exertion would shut the thoughts up for a bit. Of course, what he really wanted to do was take a late-night jaunt out to the baths. He had seen how nice they were during his post-dinner shower.

Deciding that he needed to stretch his legs, Nick found the key to the room and quietly locked up before sneaking out into the hallway. He kept his mind focused so that he did not get lost again on the way to the kitchen. Upon stepping into the dimly lit room, he immediately noticed that there was a gentle snow falling through the windows and that Stu was sitting at the table near the window with Robby. The younger of the two bucks had a laptop and several articles of paper spread out in front of him. The two seemed to be sharing conversation over drinks when they noticed him.

“It’s just one of those nights, huh?” Robby asked with a grin.

“Nick! Grab a drink and pull up a seat!” Stu requested.

The todd grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and went over to sit down; noticing that the two bucks had Mason glasses of liquor at paw.

“No rest for the wicked.” The todd admitted, taking a long drink to calm the post-workout heat in his chest. “What’s got you guys up so late for?”

“Bonnie’s recipes always strike like a Peterbilt initially,” Stu admitted, leaning back in his chair. “But, once they turn into fuel. Phew… Good luck holding onto sleep. It’s both a blessing and a curse that this meal comes after the harvest.”

Nick tilted his head curiously. “Why’s that?”

“Dad’s fueled up, but there’s no work for him to do,” Robby chuckled. “Unlike me, he only has the _arithmetic_ to burn that feeling off.”

Nick watched as Robby and Stu began laughing, despite the glare that the father shot his son, and could not hold down a grin.

“You know, your mother never did whip you enough as a kit.” Stu shot back with another chuckle.

“That’s because I was one of the good ones!” Robby retorted.

“Mhmm…” Stu hummed dryly. “What’s got you up so late, Nick?”

Nick’s ears raised high at the prompting. He had just been taking in the familial nature of the activities and conversations over the day. It was certainly pleasant, and it reminded him of the days before his father passed.

“I got TKO’d early on. I’ve been thinking about those baths and being outside, to be honest.” The todd explained.

“You haven’t hit the baths yet?” Stu asked curiously.

“Let’s just say that I attract a lot of attention around the warren.” Nick said, chuckling in embarrassment.

“Nobody’s bothering you, right?” The patriarch inquired seriously.

“No, no! Your family has been exceedingly kind and I thank you all for that.” Nick explained urgently.

Robby coughed into his paw to gather their attention, allowing his voice to become gravelly from the amusement before speaking. “Some of the does have just been staring at his ass.”

Both Nick and Stu ended up turning to stare at the buck; the todd had an air of odd amusement around him and the older buck was looking stern.

“Y’know… I think Stu’s right. Bonnie _didn’t_ whoop-up on you enough when you were younger.” Nick said firmly.

“Oh, come on now! I’m openly allied with you. Don’t take their side!” Robby bemoaned.

“Anyway…” Stu said, offering the todd an out. “We’ll have to give you a proper tour in the morning. You’ve only seen the Main Hill portion of the warren, Nick?”

“I have and I was curious about the other two hills.” The todd explained.

Stu clapped and rubbed his paws. “Well, let me show you a bit of background.” He said, standing up and taking off for the corner of the kitchen.

The patriarch took a few minutes before returning with a large rolled up piece of paper. It looked like another building schematic and far older, as well. The outside of the roll was yellowed with age. Robby made an effort to clear out some of his stuff onto another seat while his father unrolled the document, setting the Mason glasses down on the corners. The blueprint outlined the three main hills of the warren and Stu proudly pointed a finger at several sections.

“So, we’re here in the Main Hill. To explain it comparatively, this hill has the ‘front door’ to the residence like a standard above-ground house would have. Behind that, you have the West and East Hills. We just refer to the West as the Entertainment Hill. Within that main hall are rooms for the theater, library, the family archives, and we even put an observatory in the top of the dome so that everyone could look at the stars. Underneath, we have three levels of storage for maintenance and upgrade supplies under the West Hill.” Stewart explained joyfully before taking another drink. “Now, the East Hill? That’s the nursery. Anything and everything related to kit-rearing goes on in that hill and the three levels below it. There’s post-hospital or ‘Extended-NICU’, emergency birthing rooms, and a whole lot more aside from just the nursery. I’ll see if Bonnie can give you a tour of the East Hill after I take you through the West Hill.”

Nick considered the map with great scrutiny. It was amazing how all of the infrastructures were planned and built by the family exclusively. He would not have been surprised if Stu had told him that the manufacturing of the primary supplies for the warren were handled by the family, as well. That would have meant that the logistics for the Hopps family were entirely in order after the purchase of raw materials. And, the todd already knew that things were different beyond the Zootopia City Limits. For instance, building permits in the BCL Tri-County Zones were not required. Errors made in den or warren excavations were suffered by the family exclusively. As time wore on, Nick imagined that would change because the local governments would want their tax money through code regulations and inspections. But, that was still a long way off – if it was ever even voted in approval within the areas. 

“And, then, we’ll get you outside for a bit.” Stu said finally. “But, first, you should hit the bathes if you want to have one with the least number of prying eyes. Everyone will be up in a couple of hours. That should be an adequate amount of time. And, you should get some sleep, Robby.”

The younger buck nodded and piled up his paperwork on his closed laptop while his father re-rolled the schematic that had been brought out.

“Yeah. I’ll go with Nick and make sure he doesn’t get ambushed.” Robby chuckled, elbowing Nick as he passed by. “Night, dad.”

“Good night, Stu.” Nick said quickly.

“Don’t let him get tied to the antennae or anything.” Stu called out.

The todd hustled up and followed Robby out, who was thoroughly amused by the idea of his friend being tied up by some of his sisters. They quickly reached J-Hall’s bathhouses before hitting up their respective lockers. It did not seem as if Robby used the J-Hall baths with any regularity due to his residence in R-Hall. After taking a quick shower to wash off, Nick found one of the baths in the back near the wall and slipped in. A couple of minutes later, Robby hopped in with an echoing sigh.

“You’ve got that right.” Nick commented, leaned back against the rim with his arms out along the edge.

There were several others in the various pools around the room, mostly bucks, and they all kept to themselves for the most part. A glance here and there was not unusual, but they seemed to be in the baths for the same reason. Peace and quiet.

“What’s the city like, Nick?” Robby finally asked.

A chuckle escaped the todd’s maw as he rolled his head back into an upright position, ears upright while giving off a shrug.

“Which perspective of the city are you asking for, though. The lifetime resident? The pre-NHC grifter days? Or, the post-NHC slash Academy version?” Nick laid out the options for the buck.

“You used to con mammals?” Robby asked, sidetracked by the idea.

“I’ll preface by saying that _not_ all foxes con and swindle. I just happened to be a complete shitheel in _my_ earlier life.” Nick explained calmly.

“Before Judy came along.” The buck offered.

“Yes. Before Judy Hopps came along.” Nick smiled softly, looking up at the ornate ceiling above the baths.

“Alright. So, what’s it like now?”

There was no denying that it still was not specific enough of a request for information. There were too many angles. The off-time when he was allowed to err more on the civilian-side of living. The work-side… Which was a more generalized version of a LEO’s day-to-day. Then, there was the crime side of things. That perspective was a broader version of Nick’s whole life, though. He had violated the law, been witness to crime, been a victim himself, and he had ended up seeing the post-crime timelines – across-the-board – after graduating from the Academy. The fact that Robby was staring at the todd expectantly had him groaning a bit: trying to relax his back at the same time.

“I mean… Zootopia is reflected by all of the mammals within it, right?” Nick began, grasping at the proper analogous explanation. “It’s quite a beautiful place. There’s hope and a desire to do better. To make it better than it has been in the past, though it doesn’t always work… The sights, and food, and experiences are amazing. They’ll take your breath away and make you ache for more. Of course, not all that is beautiful within Zootopia was shaped by the kind. Most of the mammals are passive and uncaring unless something happens to them. Then, there are a lot of mammals who are generally hostile.”

Nick had to stop for a moment. The problem with a required sense of honesty was that it made things hard to describe if the goal was to be the sincerest: especially when it came to a simple opinion.

“I must apologize. It’s something that’s easier to understand from seeing it on your own. Comparatively, Judy would be a better mammal to ask about that. I’ve lived there all my life. I never had a ‘wow’ moment like she says she had when she first arrived. I would work better as a tour guide.” The todd finished. “My advice would be to _not_ set yourself up for it. Don’t think about it. And, then, when you get there? You’ll be blown away.”

The buck was incredibly silent while he listened before taking his own turn to look up at the ceiling to contemplate the advice. Nick took the time to sink lower into the temperate pool of water while he waited for any particular response.

“Dude, you’re too big for me to drag out of the bath. Don’t overheat yourself.” Robby ordered.

Nick chuckled loudly. “Tell that to my aching back. Just make sure I don’t drown.”

“I need to sleep soon, you waterlogged traffic cone. If you fall out in here, I’ll have to stay up until I can hide you from the does!” Robby berated the todd.

Nick’s brow shot up as he smiled disbelievingly.

“Or, maybe, I’ll call Judy and she can deal with you while you’re in the buff.” The buck grinned widely.

“I _will_ glue you to the lens of the telescope if it has enough surface area, carrot muncher.” Nick retorted loudly.

The two males stared each other down until, finally, they burst out laughing at each other’s mock hostilities.

“But, seriously. Don’t stay in here too much longer.” Robby said, collecting his towel before exiting. “Have a good rest of your night.”

Nick threw a haphazard peace sign at the retreating buck, grinning as he shut his eyes to relax for a few more minutes. He still needed a bit of time. After all, there were still things for the todd to consider.

 _For a fox that talked such a big game, you sure are clueless about what to get Judy for Christmas,_ he thought to himself.

An uncontained sigh was released into the steam around Nick and he watched as the steam churned around the sudden gust before resettling beyond his snout. There was a bit of a discontent feeling that sat within the todd’s chest.

 _You should buy her a dress,_ Hope muttered.

_There wouldn’t be a way to explain that, though…_

_She’s not a vixen! The rules don’t apply here!_ Hope growled, becoming impatient.

That was more than what Nick could stand listening to. He climbed out of the bath with all haste, wrapping himself in a towel before setting off for the fur-dryers. It was easier said than done, after all. How could any todd be expected to break a set of rather ancient rules when they were so ingrained to begin with. Just considering the idea was an effort in and of itself.

Nick resolutely ignored a group of does who had happened to filter into the bath area. It was still quite early, which made him a little suspicious of their motives, and caused him to leave his towel on as he dried his tail by itself. It was not an easy task considering his inner thoughts were making it thrash about in annoyance. After getting dressed, Nick took the hall as quietly as possible. All of the bunnies that he passed could tell that there was a heavy contemplation and chose to leave him to it aside from giving a quick wave of greeting.

Judy’s room was pitch dark when he got back inside. He let his eyes adjust while closing and locking the door. Once his natural night-vision was honed, the todd regarded the sleep doe across the room. Judy was, again, adorably curled up amongst a pile of plushies. Small squeaks and chitters emanated from the doe. It made his claws ache with desire to crawl into the pile himself and curl up around her, and that made his natural hardwiring scream out against the desire. For foxes, an invasion of another’s private space, in such a manner, was a grievous offense. In his previous life, Nick had heard of a fellow con-fox who had done just that. The particular vixen, who the todd had decided to lay with, showed her appreciation rather violently.

 _You’re only proving my point… She’s not a vixen. If a vixen, whom you had not been pursuing, had invaded your private room – like Judy did – you would have shredded her for all other vulps to see._ Hope explained measuredly. Essentially, putting Nick on blast.

 _That_ was entirely true. That particular response would have let every other red fox know that that particular vixen did not respect the natural progression of things for the species. What few skulks, that were left in the city, were usually approached by loners for information on prospective mates. If a todd or a vixen violated the rules for seeking a partner, the skulk would be the source for that information. No matter how old the offense was, it would be shared with the inquiring party by the skulk.

Nick turned to make his way to the next door, ignoring any further rebellious thoughts. With a deft paw, he unlocked the door and slipped inside. He needed to get some sleep. He would be doing a lot of walking in the morning. After setting an alarm, the todd laid down and closed his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~

The snow was cold under his hindpaws. Fortunately, his coat had already come in rather nicely and it was of no consequence. Nick had been immediately stuffed full of breakfast foods, by Bonnie, when he made it up to the dining area and now he was listening to Stu tell stories about the warren. The older buck stood with Nick in the middle of the main courtyard while a couple of his older sons milled around nearby with slung shotguns. Around the courtyard, there were several working parties adding onto a large pergola that was being built for the area. Trees were not an option because of the way the root systems would breach the domes’ integrities over time. Stu had informed him that the decision was made to add shade to the area while also offering a defense against birds-of-prey that could show up in the counties. Several other members of the family were nearby, scanning the skies for any sign of the current BOP.

Nick listened intently while Stu slowly meandered along. The buck had shown him the West Hill already; running the todd through all of the offerings that it had. Nick was pleasantly surprised at how relaxing that part of the warren had been. Kits had been watching movies, reading books, and there had – surprisingly – been a music room where some teens were playing instruments. That had brought a smile to Nick’s muzzle listening to them go through the motions of learning the various instruments that they were playing, and he very much wanted to get back there at some point. Stu had noticed this and made a couple lines of inquiry about his own background with music.

Eventually, they had hit the courtyard and now Nick was going to be handed off to Bonnie so that he could see the East Hill. The buck still had work to do, leading the construction of the pergola outside. Nick could not help but chuckle as Stu snapped his suspender straps dutifully before waltzing off.

“Don’t tell me after all that walking that you’re still half comatose, Nick.” Bonnie said, walking them into the East Hill.

“I don’t usually eat that much in one sitting,” Nick admitted. “Especially not before my routine cardio.”

Bonnie laughed out loud as they stepped into the nursery. It caught the attention of a pawful of does who were working within and they seemed surprised by his presence. There had to have been a shift-based work-style to the whole warren. The todd had only seen two of the five does around before. The other three looked extremely wary. It almost made him wary of himself.

“I’m not…” Nick started, trying to find the words. “Out-of-bounds by being here?”

“I run the warren, Nicholas. If you’re here, it’s because I approved of it.” Bonnie responded simply.

With an uncertain nod, Nick gazed out at all of the round pediatric cribs that were in their neat little rows. Most of them were empty, to be used at a moment’s notice, and the does were handling the few litters that were present.

“This is where all the newborns are brought once their mothers have settled and the hospital releases them to our care. Beyond that door, towards the back, is the where we take care of emergency labors. Only in the event where we know we couldn’t make it to the hospital in Bunnyburrow. Right now, we have four litters that we’re watching over.” Bonnie made with the explanations.

“Yours?” Nick inquired with a polite smile.

“No, no. They are Betty, Clara, Erica, and Martha’s litters. And, then we have Veronica helping out with them today. Like any other kits, we keep them warm, together with their littermates for the familiarity, and feed them here. The mothers' work schedules dictate whether they’ll be breast or bottle fed while they’re little.”

Bonnie led Nick over to one of the cradles so that they could peer inside through the clear cover over top of them. The todd thought it was for keeping an excess of scents out that permeated the rest of the room. He could have been wrong, of course. Nick did not know much about kits or bunny litters, so the explanations were nice. This particular litter had kits that were slightly larger than his fingers and their little eyes were closed even though they were sniffing around. Of course, they were a squirming pile of happiness as they crawled all over each other.

“Well, you think they’re absolutely adorable.” Bonnie giggled, pointing at the todd’s wagging tail.

Nick rolled his eyes with a grin. “Of course, I do.” He agreed.

“Do you want to hold them?” The matriarch inquired.

“I don’t think their kits smelling like a fox would be appreciated. We have scent glands in our paws, after all.” Nick chuckled as he stood up fully. “Maybe once everyone knows me better. I would love to help out, though.”

“I’ll hold you to it, Nicholas. Every now and then, we need help feeding them.” Bonnie smiled warmly.

“I imagine so.” Nick nodded, taking another look around the room. “What’s that room over there?”

The doe assisting at the nursery snuck over from his opposite side and laughed. The sound brought Nick’s head around to assess her while he wanted for an answer.

“We call that the Room of Spontaneity.” The black and white spotted doe named Veronica explained. “Sometimes couples come down to gain an understanding of what they’ll be getting into with their first litter… Once thing tends to lead to another, so there are couple of rooms that there for usage.”

Nick could not help the bushing of his tail while he chuckled in embarrassment. There was solid logic in having a room like that nearby. The heart wants what the heart wants, after all, and resulting desires were _probably_ a powerful result. The visual brought on a chorus of giggles from several of the females in the room.

“Don’t worry, Mister Wilde. I won’t have a problem with you handling any kits that I have. You seem sweet enough.” Veronica chortled, patting him on the shoulder.

“I do try.” Nick admitted honestly.

A chime in the todd’s pocket caught everyone’s attention and he smiled apologetically. Pulling his phone out, Nick checked the screen to find that an unknown number had left him a voicemail.

“I apologize. Please, excuse me for a moment, ladies.” He said, turning away so that he could listen to it.

Bonnie nodded at the todd’s politeness and turned back to read over some of the information on the medical clipboard for the litter. The reports read well and seemed to indicate good health with all of the newborns. Not having finished with the reading, the matriarch did not notice a gentle paw on her shoulder.

“Mom.” Veronica said softly.

“Hm?”

 _“Mom!”_ The younger doe hissed, squeezing her shoulder. “Something’s wrong!”

The older doe’s head snapped up to see that Veronica was pointing back down towards the hall. With a snap of her neck, Bonnie looked over to find Nick as he hit the floor on his knees. The todd’s tail was tucked up underneath him, between his legs, while his phone had fallen to the wayside. Bonnie had only seen that a couple of times from Gideon Grey, but knew that it was a sign that the todd was in extreme distress, and it caused her ears to droop immediately. She almost dropped the clipboard passing it off to Veronica as she took of towards Nick. When she reached him, there was hesitation to touch his shoulder. Her hearing was torn between the sounds pouring from his phone and the urgent Vulpish that he was whispering, each of the harsh words were tinged with sorrow.

Bonnie caught some of the voicemail as it replayed. _“—ilde, we regret to inform you that your mother, Vivian Wilde, passed away on the eve of—”_

“Oh, no…” The doe whispered.

A gentle paw was laid on Nick’s shoulder as she watched him pray. The todd’s ears were pinned back so far that it would have been hard to tell that he had any if one looked directly at him. His paws were clasped together. Bonnie looked back at the other does, Veronica looked pained as she also heard the words pouring from the phone. The matriarch jerked her head towards the door and her daughter understood immediately: _find Judy and do it quickly._ Veronica took off like a shot as Bonnie pulled Nick up in a hug. She could feel his body shaking while his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Despite the fact that the todd was still wearing his cold-weather jacket, Bonnie felt the hackles steadily pushing his clothing away from his shoulders and neck.

Bonnie noticed that Betty quietly walked over, taking up Nick’s phone in her paw and shutting off the repeating voicemail recording. The action did nothing to break Nick from his reverie. Not even the sound of the door slamming open did that. Bonnie looked up to find that Stu and Robby were standing there with concern written all over their muzzles; the sight of the todd before them only making their ears fall further. They had hoped what they heard was not the truth, but the nervousness and sadness that creased Stewart’s daughters’ faces told them the truth.

 _“Ole kiltti, Karma. Tarjoa turvallista kulkua äidilleni.”_ They all heard Nick finally whisper.

After a moment, Nick’s paws covered his eyes as his digits clamped down over his eyebrows. The todd’s claws extended as he pushed his paws back over his head and past his ears, taking a deep breath before opening his bleary eyes.

“Missus Hopps…” Nick said, his voice wrought with pain. “I need a bottle of liquor and a couple of glasses, if it’s not too much to ask.”


	11. The Cumulation of Debt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have to infuriate someone, do it for the right reasons. And, never hide why you moved your chess pieces the way you did.
> 
> A cookie for anybody who can tell me the exact state within the Union that was alluded to in within.

It had taken a considerable amount of time for Judy to be found by Veronica that afternoon. The doe’s older sister had been playing hide-and-seek with some of the younger kits across the Main Hall’s living quarters. Even after having the kits spread out to alert others that there was an emergency concerning the fox todd that she had brought along. Once Judy had made it to the main dining hall, she found that Bonnie was in an emotional uproar about Nick’s decision to go beyond the grounds of the warren on paw and Stu was trying to soothe her while working with Robby to organize an armed group to stand guard outside. Beyond the windows, the todd had made it to a large oak tree beyond the country road in front of the residence and was thoroughly engaged in digging out the snow in front of the tree by paw. Judy’s fear and confusion was answered with the explanation of what had occurred in the East Hill. It sent the poor doe’s heart plummeting into her stomach.

There was no denying the conflict within her mother despite the demands that Judy stay within the safety of the warren. Robby did his best to mediate the various shouting matches that threatened to arise over the individual desires, and it was settled that he would take a pawful of volunteers out to guard Nick while the todd did what he needed to do in his state of mourning. Judy could not ignore the weeping from her mother as she was held tight. The matriarch did not want Nicholas Wilde out in the blustering snow and would not accept her own daughter’s presence beyond the door of the kitchens. Bonnie did not understand what the fox was doing, even though she knew that there was a reason why he was out there.

Stewart stood by as resolutely as he able to, fighting back his own tears while watching what the overcast weather illuminated near the oak tree. It was dark enough to show that the fox was committed to some sort of vulpine vigil to the deceased. A steady, but low flame illuminated the front of the tree. Judy could see Nick’s darker form in front of it, within the dug-out shelter. By that time, much of the family had heard of the incident and some of her family had quietly congregated within the primary kitchen. The does, who had been in the nursery, quietly began to light candles and place them in the surrounding windowsills after Betty approached Judy and Veronica. Judy’s older sister had Nick’s phone in her paw.

_“Officer Wilde, we found your phone number through the city’s employee database. My name is Doctor Harrison Fredricks, and I am the Chief Medical Examiner of Zootopia… Mister Wilde… We regret to inform you that your mother, Vivian Wilde, passed away on the eve of the Twenty-Third of this month. Your mother passed peacefully in her sleep and the autopsy revealed multiple tumors in several critical organs. We are currently awaiting the results of our tests and her prior medical records to make the final confirmations regarding the cause-of-death. My sincerest condolences for your loss, Sir…”_

Judy had not experienced such a depth of sadness and anger in years. As the tears overwhelmed her eyes, the doe slammed a balled paw down on the table that she was at: nearly cursing Karma out loud in the process. Regardless of her held tongue, there was no escaping the fact that she had done so mentally. The fact that Judy had never even met the vixen did nothing to stop the tears that fell for Nick’s loss. There was so much to be said for how much a good mammal that he was, thanks to Vivian’s raising, no matter how short of a time that might have been. Veronica had stayed close to her, after that, while Betty had stepped away. The older doe had one of her brothers take the phone out to Robby so that it would make it back into Nick’s paws. Nothing had come of the attempt from what the family could tell.

The longer that time wore on, the more distraught Bonnie became. She watched as the light was being blotted out, by the darkening clouds above, and how the snows were coming in thicker. The flakes were rather puffy and being blown gently at an angle. Each hour that passed resulted in their vision being further and further diminished.

With concern fractured her voice, Bonnie finally spoke up. “Stu! We need to bring them all in! _Now!”_ She demanded.

“Bon…” Stu said, hugging his wife close. “I don’t know what he’s doing. It looks important… To interrupt it—”

 _“He’s getting up!”_ Andrew bellowed from across the kitchen. The report nearly made his poor mother faint.

Judy launched herself out of her seat towards the window in time to catch a seeming glimpse of the todd shaking the accumulated snow from his clothes and fur. Nearly forty members of her family crowded around all of the windows with bated breaths as they watched Robby’s inky form urgently barking out orders to the small team that he had gone out with. After a moment, Nick’s form took something up from off the ground prior to beginning the trek towards the warren. Judy could not stop the relieved sob that poured out from behind her paws, nearly jumping out of her fur when Bonnie engaged her motherly tendencies.

“Betty, take Veronica and bring back towels and blankets! Judy, go get Nick some spare clothes! We’ll dry him off quickly before taking him to a fur-dryer!” Their mother barked her orders. “Andrew, that chowder better be ready! I want them fed as soon as they’re dry!”

Judy was gone as soon as she had her task. The doe ran through the warren and launched herself down the stairs. Upon making it to her room, she unlocked the door with the key and darted into Nick’s. Spotting the todd’s duffle right off, Judy quickly took out a matching set of dark blue utility pants, a ZPD t-shirt and a pair of boxer-briefs. Her powerful legs propelled her back out, relocking the door behind her. Judy made it up in time to hear the door open. The sight of Nick, as he was ushered through the door, was damned grim.

The todd’s natural winter coat had kept him so warm that the snow had melted and frozen to portions of his jacket, as well as much of his muzzle. Condensation had accumulated and frozen to his long whiskers as well as around his nose. Nick’s tail was thoroughly soaked from rest under the snow. Both his ears and his tail were the only external indicators that he was freezing. The look in his eyes was one of a distant nature and there was no way to even tell if he had been weeping due to all of the ice.

The first thing that Stu did was set aside the whiskey bottle that Nick had brought back, only one shot glass to accompany it, and then the buck stepped back up to Nick.

“Let’s get that jacket off you, Son.” Stu said, smiling weakly.

After flexing his paws, Nick grasped the zipper and pulled it down through the layers of snow. He had to snap the rigid garment open just to get out of it: sending shards of ice skittering across the floor. Stu took the jacket from the todd before he began helping Nick remove his soaked shirt. Once that was clear, everyone could see how badly the muscles in his torso were twitching and trembling. Immediately, Bonnie threw a towel around the todd.

“Get him to a dryer now!” She barked again.

Robby rushed over and took the clothing from Judy’s paws before ushering Nick out of the kitchen. The pawful of brothers that had gone out with Robby were dusting off the snow that had accumulated on their clothing. Several of Judy’s sisters weren’t sure what to do beyond that moment and every rabbit in the guest dining area was solemn within in. Bonnie had taken a seat at the short table within and folded her paws, quietly praying in her own way because there was nothing more for her to organize. Without knowing more about the ways that foxes mourned for the dead, there was nothing more any of them could do.

Dinner preparations were made in silence. The kits picked up on the lack of excitement in the air. They did not need to know the why to know that things were not well within the warren. It was not until well after seven that the bucks reappeared with an unkempt Nick at their side. The todd took a seat at a small table in the corner. Nick’s back faced the rest of the room while his shoulders held his weight upright forcefully. There was no movement to even acknowledge the fact that Andrew had placed a large bowl of chowder in front of him.

Just stood up on shaky knees… Walking over to drop herself on the bench next to Nick. Her mind was numb with the fact that there was no response. No flick of those darkened, crimson-tinted ear-tips. No curl in the tip of the todd’s tangled tail. No twitch of his nose to address to the brain that there was a proximity of his friend’s nearby scent. With a twitch of Judy’s ear, she noticed the approach of her brother, Robby. The buck held a brush in his paws tentatively. The sadness etched along his muzzle said everything as he offered the brush to Judy.

_He wouldn’t even groom himself after we dried him off…_

There was no real comprehension of Nick’s loss to the Hopps Family. Judy was the only one who knew that Nick’s mother was the last real family that the todd had. Family was everything to a rabbit. But, what is _everything_ to a group of mammals who had family by the several dozens or hundreds? Nick had only had his father and mother, and now… They were both gone from the world. His father on the best of terms, cut short, and his mother on the worst of terms, for the longest of time. He had no siblings. He had spoken of no aunts or uncles. And, Nick’s grandparents had died long before his time, from what Judy had gathered.

Judy took the brush in her paw, noticing that it was the exact one that Nick had brought along on the trip. She, then, reached up and hugged his elongated head before whispering.

“We need you to eat some food. Please, Nick… It will warm you up. I know I’m breaking the rules… But, I’m going to help you with your tail, OK?”

At first, there was only a slow move of Nick’s eyes towards the table. A single twitch of the nose followed. The todd’s tail did not jerk away from its resting spot on the bench between them. After several more moments, Nick slowly reached for the spoon on the table so that he could take in a tasting of the meal. Judy carefully scooted closer and _very_ gently gathered Nick’s tail into her lap. There was none of the usual responses as her paws found the fluffy appendage. No happy purr or affronted growl. It was nearly unnerving for Judy to deal with. She would have preferred trying to explain her actions around an angered Nicholas Wilde, but there still wasn’t even a twitch in his tail.

Judy waited until Nick finally picked up the spoon from the tabletop before beginning to brush the todd’s tail. She was extremely careful not to distract him by accidently pulling any of several knots of fur that were present. Nick’s consumption was awfully close to being able to be described as mechanical, but after several minutes he picked up the bowl to drink the remaining stew within. Once the todd comprehended that there was nothing left in the bowl, his muscles rippled to swing his leg out and over the bench. Judy’s paw on his shoulder was the only thing to stop him.

“It’s alright, Slick. Do you want more?” She asked hopefully.

As if on cue, Bonnie stepped over with another bowl.

“Please, eat some more, Nick. I don’t want you to get sick.” She said firmly before taking a seat across from them.

“Thank you, Ma’am.” Nick replied softly.

Stu led Robby and Vera over to sit down next to his wife. The younger buck was still drying his ears and head with a towel and his father set down the bottle of whiskey, that Nick had asked to borrow earlier, along with several fresh glasses. Quietly, Stu took off his hat and began pouring measured shots into them after pushing one over to the todd.

“Nick, I cannot express how sorry that we are for your loss. If there’s anything that you need, please tell us.” Stu expressed quietly.

With a tip of his muzzle, Nick nodded before taking to the second bowl of food. Judy continued to brush down the errant tufts of fur along his tail while regarding his face carefully. As soon as he finished the second bowl, Nick took up the small shot glass and downed it. A roll of his wrist caught some of the whiskey from spilling down his fur adorning his lower lip. There was a pull at his jaw due to the taste, causing his teeth to show along the right side of his muzzle. Judy’s eyes widened at that. In all her time knowing him, never once had she seen him touch alcohol so willingly.

“I… I’ll need to make some calls in the morning.” Nick finally admitted, keeping his paws busy with organizing the dishes that he had created. He winced when Bonnie rested her paw on his, staying it from doing anything else.

“Absolutely!” Stu said firmly. “I’ll let you use my office and the landline if you can’t get service on the cell.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Nick said, the whisper soft on the air.

“Don’t worry about any of these. We’ll take care of it.” Bonnie said, indicating to the dishes and the mess. “Judy, make sure Nick gets to bed. Make sure he stays warm and if you even think he’s coming down with something, you come get me immediately. Do you understand?”

“Yes, mom.” Judy confirmed, carefully draping Nick’s tail on his lap so that he could adjust it, as necessary.

“And, take some water with you.” Bonnie ordered.

Judy stood up and put the brush into her pocket before gathering up two bottles of water, placing one of them in her back pocket while reapproaching Nick. Just as he had gotten to his feet, Judy slipped her paw into his and led him through the warren as quickly as the todd would allow her to. Once the door of the room was shut and locked appropriately, Judy brought Nick over to her bed and made him take a seat on the edge of the mattress.

“Strip down.” Judy told him with a gentle voice.

Any other time, the doe would have expected a kittish shot of humor to slip off of Nick’s tongue… The lack of it pierced every bit of his muzzle as he simply began to slip out of the shirt that she had brought. The todd hesitated long enough to see the expectant look on Judy’s face before he began to remove his trousers, as well. There was no denying that it was far from the romantic way that Judy had wanted to see Nick disrobe, but it was not the time to be considering those things. Nick sat on the edge of the bed in nothing more than the black, form-fitting boxer briefs while staring at his paws. The long, russet tail wrapped around his right side and did not move in the slightest. Not a single twitch or a flicker of the tip.

“Nick… I need to know that it’s safe to give you your medication.” Judy said softly.

It was clear that Nick understood exactly what she was getting at. “The whiskey wasn’t for me… I only had the one.” He rasped, sounding like he had swallowed a mile of the county road’s crushed quarry stone.

“Alright,” Judy nodded, gently pushing on his shoulder to get him to lay down. “You’re sleeping here. Just give me a minute.”

It took a few minutes to gather all of the plushies that she had left Nick. As she had done the morning before, several trips had to be made to finish the task. Nick had not budged from his sitting position all the while. After finding his medication, Judy hopped up on the bed and eased him down onto her pillow. She offered him the pill and carefully gave him a drink before setting the water aside so that she could pull a blanket over his body. Then, she began to spread all the plushies out around him.

Once that was accomplished, the doe hopped out of the bed to strip down to her usual work undergarments. The issued t-back bra and workout panties contrasted her grey fur in matching black. Once Judy made it back into the bed, she dutifully burrowed under Nick’s arm and neck, carefully rolling onto her left side in the process. Her ears popped out from behind Nick’s head as she wiggled out, but now she was situated comfortably so that she could brush her paw over his head and ears.

“Judy.”

“Yeah?”

“You marked all these stuffed bunnies.” The tone of his voice was so deeply tinged with exhaustion.

With an explanation taking up too much time, Judy simply hummed her confirmation as she wrapped her arms around Nick’s neck, snuggling her nose into his jaw underneath his ear. If he inquired further about it later, she would tell him.

~~~~~~~~~

The night had been merciless to Judy and rounded out an already distressing day. Sleep had been fleeting, waking immediately when Nick unearthed himself from the pile of plushies that he had been under. The todd had not moved or made a sound the whole night, but he had slept and that in and of itself was a relief. Judy very nearly did not release Nick’s tail when he stood up, rolling his shoulders all the while, but she let it slip through her fingers. He stepped into his room so that they had their own privacy while dressing for the day. Judy waited patiently until Nick returned: wearing a black button-down that was tucked into a dark pair of jeans. He said nothing to anybody that they passed, rolling up his sleeves to the elbows as Judy followed him upstairs.

The thing about Nick was that he hated wearing darker colors because of the fur that was usually shed. He had said once that it always stuck to some of the nicest things he wore unless it was right after his winter coat came in. It was actually one of the other major reasons why he wore bright clothing when he had been hustling. Over the past couple of years, he had kept to a rather strict routine of wearing ZPD training garbs when he was not working. Sometimes, the old Hawaiian print shirts came out. Those days were few and far between, and the blacks only came out between mid-November through late-February. Right now, not much fur would fall away to stick on it.

As soon as they made it to the kitchens, her mother rushed over to see if Nick wanted anything to eat. The todd shook his head, though.

“I need to make my calls, Ma’am. They’re time sensitive and should have been made last night.” Nick said firmly, speaking the first words of the new day.

There was no waiting for a rebuttal from Bonnie. As soon as Nick spotted Stu, he moved away to talk to him about using the office for the morning. Judy sat down with her mother after Bonnie had dropped herself into a seat. It looked as if she had exhausted herself by staying up all night out of fretting concern.

“I know it’s early, mom… But, I don’t think that Nick’s come down with anything.” Judy offered.

“It doesn’t even feel like a silver lining, though.” Her mother said sadly.

Judy had no response for that truth.

The does’ conversation was interrupted when Vera strode over to with little Marcy on her hip. The relatively new mother looked extremely concerned and even more tired than she had when she first met Nick as she took a seat at the table with them. Marcy was too busy being focused on the general direction of the burrow entryway where Nick would eventually appear through at some point later on.

That brought a gentle smile to their mother’s muzzle. “How are you, sweetheart?” Bonnie inquired.

“Concerned… The little one’s fussy.” Vera explained. “She’s too young to understand what’s happened.”

“And, all she wants to do is play with the todd’s ears and sleep on his shoulder now, huh?” Bonnie asked with a sad chuckle.

Derek snuck up on the group to sit down next to his wife, a plate of breakfast in paw as he chewed on a piece of carrot with a gentle smile on his face.

“Unfortunately for her pa, Marcy has taken an immeasurable liking to the big orange lug. Subsequently, she has not been able to sleep without the prospect of having first harassed him.” Derek said with a chuckle.

That brought warm, but gentle smiles to all of their muzzles as they turned their attentions to the drinks or food. After a while, the group broke up silently to attend to chores or rest while they all waited.

~~~~~~~~~

Nick Wilde exited Stewart’s office well after noon in the day. All of the notifications had been made to various skulks and arrangements had been made for his mother’s body until he could make it back to the city. Nothing would come of returning from their holiday early. All of the information remained heavy on Nick’s mind as he quietly made his way to the main laundry facilities. After searching around, the todd found the jacket that he had been wearing yesterday. It had been diligently washed and dried by the night crew and he would have to return to collect his other clothes later on. Outside the windows, the snow continued to layer on the ground. Drains had been applied all around the three domes to allow for the melted snow to drain off of the glass so that outside viewing was capable at all times.

Because all of the Hills were topped with a clear composite, they were heated through a combination of the elevated internal temperature and an integrated heating element within the window-frames themselves. Nick made his way through the hill in an effort to find Stu in solitude and did so after several minutes. The buck was sitting in a small living room at the front of the Main Hill, ever-watchful of the events playing out beyond the surrounding windows.

“I’d like to thank you, Mister Hopps, for the hospitality.” Nick said sincerely.

The ferocity with which Stu brought himself out of his chair caused Nick’s ears to pin back and his spine straighten. The buck’s muzzle held both anger and confliction, and that damn near unnerved Nick. Stu stepped up and grabbed the todd by the shoulder firmly.

“Gods dammit, Nick, do not now feel as if you’re a stranger among us!” Stu whispered urgently, wrapping Nick in a tight hug.

“I apologize… I feel as if I have slighted your family.” The todd admitted solemnly.

“Well…” Stu began. “I do hope to bring some kind of explanation that will be placating.”

Nick released Stu and raised a paw towards a chair. A continuance of rude gestures that Nick felt he was imposing on them, but it was the best way to explain. There was no politeness in stating how poorly the todd considered himself in all these regards and he would not allow the crudeness to slip here.

“It’s a… developed custom with red foxes, Stu. In my time, I’ve seen daughters and sons and mates hit their knees to pray and to mourn in some of the most impromptu of places.” Nick explained tentatively, taking a seat across from the elder buck.

“Enough so to risk victimization by the BOP in the area?” Stu said evenly, trying not to be too rude.

“Better in such a place of beauty – with a threat – than randomly timed in a store, or an alley, or across the globe in one of the Old World nations.” Nick admitted with a nod. “I just wish that those sons of yours hadn’t been sent out to stand under threat on my behalf.”

“That decision rested _not_ on the one holding the ire…” Stu said with a chuckle.

Nick’s ear flicked fiercely. “Are we to expect a firing squad, Sir?” He asked weakly.

That brought out another steely glare out of Stu.

“I might eat a night or two in the chicken coop.” Stu shrugged. “You might simply have to go without blueberry pie for a week or so.”

Nick leaned out on his knees and hung his head while wiping his paws down his snout, but found Stu placing his paw on Nick’s knee.

“Son, Bonnie’s not angry. You simply scared her half to death.” Stu explained.

“That wasn’t my intention, Stu.” Nick said urgently, looking up at the patriarchal rabbit.

“I know you would do no such thing on purpose.” Stu said with a nod before grinning widely. _“But…_ if you address Bonnie as ‘ma’am’ any further, I will not presume to intercept the frying pan that flies across the kitchen’s thoroughfare, for you, on your behalf. Presently, you have only fear of being cuffed upside the noggin.”

Nick’s lips peeled back with an unrestrained laugh, feeling the amusement overtake his whole body for the first time in many hours. The visual of such an event did not dissuade Nick from wanting to see it come to pass despite the harm that would inevitably befall him. The thought only made him laugh harder and Nick was incredibly happy to hear Stu as the buck laughed with him.

“Though…” Stu began again.

That brought a slow punctuation to Nick’s laughter as he wiped his eyes and reassessed Stewart accordingly.

“I sense that there’s something else you need, Son.”

“Something that I’d like to ask of you, yes.” Nick admitted, noting that the buck was waiting. “I’d like to borrow a truck with a plow to work the county road for the remainder of the day.”

“Nick. I hope to Serendipity that _I’m_ not downrange of that frying pan when it’s slung at _you.”_ Stu shook his head in a joking and solemn manner. “I assume this is a solo venture.”

“I need the time of my own, without a second truck, to clear and make it to Bunnyburrow proper so that I can replenish your stocks of whiskey.” Nick said, expanding on the request. He was once again unable to keep a smile off his muzzle.

Stewart drew a terse breath before removing a set out keys from his pocket, passing them over to the todd. He was going to have a Hell of a lot of explaining to do with _at least_ one doe in the warren with that decision.

“There’s only a couple of trucks out yonder. Grab the blue. And, _for carrot’s plucking sake,_ bring back some petunias. You oughta know the color.” Stu explained.

“You’ll forgive me one last ‘yes, Sir,’ I hope.” Nick replied.

~~~~~~~~~

Beyond the window and flickering windshield wipers, the snows billowed across the rolling hills and through the trees around the edges of the farmland. As soon as flakes struck the glass, they had enough time to melt before being wiped away. Nick was following the reflective markers on each side of the road, nine-foot poles set alongside the edge of the normally dirt road, while keeping a steady speed that would keep him from slipping on the ice below the snow. The winds higher up were whipping the electrical lines between the pole tops due to the particular tensioning methods that were used in the area.

Snow roiled off of the plow while Nick pushed on. There was a serenity in the long stretches of white. The view was almost purer white than the newest of sheets laid on the beds of the warren itself. It allowed for Nick to put his mind into neutral while cranking up the volume of the Bluetooth radio over the static of the CB radio. Stu had demanded that Nick remain in contact with Robby via the bidirectional radio waves designated for each warren or burrow in the area. There was already a CB radio channel designation list taped on the passenger side of the dashboard for emergencies.

The engine roared under paw, falling further to the floor as Nick began to drum out the beat of the music itself, becoming engulfed in it and feeling the growl pour forth from his chest.

“GOOO!” Nick snarled at the windshield, wrapping his paws painfully tight around the steering wheel. His head bobbed with the sound of the electric guitar’s blistering wail in his eardrums.

 _“In your life, you'll be amazed at all the love you lose! You can never live that life again… The one thing you will never lose is the singing in your head! That, will still be with you until the end!”_ The speakers wailed out the [Motörhead](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4qHmryJYs0) lyrics moments later.

Nick quickly flicked the wipers up to a faster speed, though only being able to hear the sound they made in his head while he waited for the song to end. The road would be properly plowed past the twenty or so residences between the Hopps Farm and the town of Bunnyburrow. He would see to the other side on the way back. He had even considered doing the whole other side of the county road until he had made it to the Deerbrook-Podunk intersection, but the primary focus now was on the seat of the Bunnyburrow township. Once the dirt turned to pavement, Nick withdrew the blade’s edge from the driving path. The snows had been cleared to the edge of the town.

Eventually, the truck was steered up to the front of the General Store’s parking lot and put into park before Nick stepped out to survey the area. Several mammals were out and about in groups, mostly rabbits or hares, and most toted around various long-guns while being on their ways. What caught Nick’s ear was the music pouring out of the bar next door to the General Store and his paws carried him over the ice towards the sound first.

There were no signs precluding the idea of a fox entering the two establishments, fortunately. Nick need not enter the premise to see the band playing their music within the bar. Nick drew his jacket up higher on his shoulders while watching as the lead singer sang through the lyrics, aided by the backup vocals from several pretty does hitting that gospel sound. Nick knew the [original song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOIMXT7Aqe4) well; from friends who had joined the Self-Defense Forces prior to eminent deployments.

_“Yeah,  
If I die young, write my mother,  
Tell her that I love her, but my soul's gone home!  
And, take me back to Bunnyburrow County,  
Drive real slow and take the long way home!  
And, tell my kin to pick up a shovel!  
Wrestle that sugar sand and bury my bones,  
Bury my bones beneath these pines,  
When it comes time,  
Yeah! If I die young!”_

The drums took over for the ukulele as the last verse was sung through. The electric took over from the midway while the buck bellowed the last of it. The buck, behind the electric guitar, played with all the heartfelt sentiments that he mustered, bending the strings to their screaming ends as Nick felt tears streaming down his face.

None of the todds, of which he had been friends with at the time, had come back from their deployments alive. Several of them, the todd himself had to address personally, after the fact, due to there being no other next-of-kin to notify. Seven of his friends’ ashes had to be buried or spread over all points of Zootopia per their final written wishes. Eight more, and not all foxes, he had attended the proper funerals of. And, now, he had to find an appropriate resting place for his parents. Nick’s mother had kept John’s ashes after he had passed, not knowing where to properly lay or spread him. Nick would eventually have both of theirs. They were not of Zootopia originally, but of nowhere else at the same time.

Well after his father’s passing, there had been a close friend who had passed in the service, and Nick had absolutely gone ballistic in the company of Finnick one evening. A friend from both ends of grade school was lost and Nick had railed on Karma: screaming of how he seemed to only be a recorder of their histories while he remained alive. It was over a decade past and probably the only time where Finnick had been fearful of the red fox’s next actions from the fact that the temper was lost without the assistance of alcohol. The diminutive fox had barely stymied Nick’s unaimable wrath in the process and was even fearful of Nick’s verbal dragging of Karma: despite Karma not being Finnick’s immediate deity, by raising.

Nick quietly wiped his eyes before turning away from the bar’s entrance so that he could get to work on what he had come to do.

The General Store was resonated a peaceful nature as Nick meandered through the aisles. Quickly, the todd selected the largest bottle of appropriately branded whiskey before moving off towards the deli and arrangements portion of the store, ignoring the curious onlookers who did not recognize this particular fox in their town. Nick grabbed several other items along the way. As quickly as the florist could arrange them for the todd, the doe brought together a rather amazing bouquet of purple flowers that Nick had no familiarity with. The flowers were all in a proper glass vase with a little bit of water to keep them. Nick quickly paid what was owed and walked back to the truck. As soon as the cab door was closed and the vehicle was started up, Nick turned the CB back on.

“Robby, I’m headed back.” Nick spoke into the corded microphone.

 _“I hear ya, Nick! Be careful coming back. The snows are coming in heavy and the winds are picking up. Copy?”_ Robby radioed back.

“I copy. Headed back now. Out.”

Nick hung the microphone on the clip of the radio before throwing the truck in drive and cranking the music back up. The drive back held considerations that needed to be made while Nick dropped the blade back on the dirt road outside of town, setting forth to complete the task.

The sun had set fully while Nick had been in the General Store. He would have foregone the headlights, in favor of his night-vision, if it had not been for the fact that another vehicle fell in line behind the loaner vehicle that he was driving. Whoever they were, they were re-plowing the oncoming lane until several miles beyond the town. The unknown driver flashed their high-beams before steering off towards one of the nearby residences and Nick hit the hazards a couple of times to indicate a thank-you to them for the assistance. Truth be told, Nick was entirely ready to plow the road all night if it had been his vehicle and fuel. The mammals within Bunnyburrow might have been nervous of the newcomer, but they had been kind and polite enough.

It brought a gentle smile to Nick’s muzzle as he tooled forth against the rising snows: heading back towards the Hopp’s Farm.

The headlights were brutal in their glare against the oppressing snowfall and the turbulence from what was plowed out in front of the newer Furd. It made Nick focus on the reflective banding at the marker tops out beyond the shine of the lights themselves. The eerie snowfall against far-out pole lamps made Nick chuckle at the thoughts of the tales that Randy had told him about Weredeer and Jackalopes and mutant Snowy Owls. The bobcat had been raised in a far-off place where there were allegedly creatures that spooked even the hardiest classes of predators. Allegedly, they had been summoned by the original Native Americans that had lived the lands long before and were products of witchcraft. Nick would not argue monstrous birds-of-prey from those areas of the previous Territories, but he was skeptical of prey-borne mutants-of-the-deceased to ward away groups of incoming predators off of native lands.

 _Of course, if they were to come out and kill our collective ass here and now while simply plowing the road, it wouldn’t make a difference,_ the Cynic muttered.

It was a pleasant sight to see that the moon was just beginning to peer through the far out trees as Nick made the final turn into the Hopps Farm driveway. The todd had refrained from shutting off the headlights until he was well within the warren’s grounds. Once Nick had parked, the Furd was left running while he took up the paw-set to the radio.

“How are we looking, Robby?” Nick said softly.

 _“The main corridor is laced with double the normal amount of explosives.”_ Robby came back over radio officially. _“I hope you brought the necessary tools for the appropriate disarmament.”_

“And, the General?” Nick inquired, raising a brow.

 _“Captured and previously under interrogation. His condition is currently unknown. You have five-minutes before I initiate Operation Cyclone. Over and out!”_ Robby stated urgently.

After shutting off the vehicle and staying the power to the CB, Nick clambered out of the lifted Furd. In truth, it was not made to fight a fox by this particular design, but there were no complaints to be had with the vehicle’s dedication to the task that he had asked of it.

“The warren is made up of a group of the most upstanding bucks that I’ve _ever_ met in my lifetime. Here’s to you, Robby.” Nick muttered to himself, grinning at his own plans of repayment.

Once Nick had pocketed his phone, he checked his watch. If he was painfully slow crossing the yard, he could gather the last three-minutes in his favor. Maybe even another minute to dust himself off of the accumulation of snow that would occur in the process. With that thought, Nick gathered the groceries and made his way inside appropriately. Every light to the outside had been left on to show the awaiting of his return to the warren.

After he dusted and removed his jacket, Nick arranged removed and set the groceries before arranging the bouquet at the center of the main serving table. Stu was sitting in the corner of the room, sipping a drink, while looking no worse for the wear. The buck studiously ignored the todd: as was anticipated. Several does within the kitchen observed him with a keen eye and made no comment while all parties listened to the whoops and hollers from the dining hall. Nick plucked out two of the prettiest purple flowers from the arrangement, while ignoring their looks, before walking out to join the others in observance of the disruption.

Nick strode out into the entryway, taking Bonnie’s side at the right, but still behind while looking up at the nearest ceiling fan. Judy was separated on her left side. Nick, most assuredly, was not stupid enough to position himself between the two at the moment. A young grandkit, Charlie Hopps II, was tied to one of the fan-blades shortly after the power had been disrupted and the fan began to slow. Nick adopted an air of contemplative intrigue while trying not to grin in the slightest, his paws clasped behind his back with the flowers in paw and his left brow raised in “utter surprise”. After a mere moment, Bonnie noticed the new presence from the twitch of her own nose and looked back in surprise. Nick's brow was cocked up at the sight dutifully.

“I assume this is preliminary training for one of the space programs?” Nick asked, feigning awe and hopefulness in his voice.

The look that Bonnie adopted nearly made Nick balk, but the matriarch whipped her head back towards the dining area.

“Robby! Get him off that fan, right now!” She shouted.

While Bonnie had turned away, and while Judy was tennis’ing between the three points, Nick brought his paws around to the front and quickly separated the flowers that he wished to present. When they turned around, the two does were halfway to becoming bottle-rockets from their visual dismays. Nick held a flower out to Bonnie until she took it before offering Judy the other flower. With a confused consideration, Bonnie released a huff and hooked Nick by the crook of his arm to drag him back into the kitchen area before depositing him at the table where Stewart was sitting at. After the older doe had turned away, and in front of Judy – who had sat down next to him, Nick revealed the bottle of whiskey from his jacket that had been left on the back of the chair and slid it across to Stu in earnest. The buck shook his head with his own huff, grinning at the same time.

“How’s the town looking, Nick?” Stu asked from behind his cup.

“Like a scattergun, embedded in the earth, with its barrel pointed up to the heaven’s above.” Nick said, giving his best musician’s assessment of what he had seen. “It was calm out there.”

Bonnie returned to the table as she rolled water bottles in her apron with one paw, trying to warm them up so that it would not shock the system, before taking a seat next to Stu. The buck had dutifully diverted his attention deeper into his cup to avoid his wife’s ire. His wife was still grasping the flower in her paw. Fortunately for him, her entire attention – as was his daughter’s – was on the todd. Once the bottle was offered to Nick, he politely accepted it.

“I ask that you hold nothing back, Bonnie.” He mediated for Bonnie.

That brought Bonnie’s paw down on the table with an angry thump. It didn’t _sound_ as menacing as others that Nick had heard, but the message was well received. She, then, pointed at the flower arrangement at the center of the table.

_“You sly fox!”_ She belted out, drawing the kitchen to a standstill. Not exactly the beginning that Nick had hoped for. Bonnie's eyes were brimming with tears at the same time. “You are sweeter than any male, since Stu, that I have ever met! I _need_ an explanation to why you would so blatantly risk your life, though!”

“Regarding my absence from the grounds last night.” Nick clarified, feeling his ears fold back.

“Yes! You are under _my_ care here at this warren! You explain to me why I shouldn’t attempt to ensure that you won’t leave the warren in such a reckless fashion again!” Bonnie requested urgently.

Judy sat by quietly, knowing better than to interject anything that she may have known into the conversation. Her mother was not playing around with this issue.

Nick pursed his lips with concern for a moment. “May I assume that bunnies… rabbits… mark their kits at some point: to emphasize who the parents are?” He inquired gently.

“Yes.”

“Red foxes do the same…” Nick began, looking nervously at his paws. “It’s a naturally ingrained requirement of us. Just as my parents marked me when I was a kit. On the other paw. That… procedure… is ingrained in the progeny when their parents die. We seek the most convenient place to pay our immediate respects and commit to our prayers for their safe passage beyond this world. My requirement was that it would be a place of beauty for my mother. There’s no deeper way to explain the need to do what I did.”

Bonnie stood up sternly, forcing the bench backwards with her movements and nearly causing Stu to spill his drink in the process, before she walked around the table to stand next to Nick. Judy had been the most fearful of the four at the table, but it was a debate if she won the title for the whole kitchen. Several onlookers were bolted to the floor as they watched the conversation’s turn. Nick was immediately blinded in one eye as Bonnie took him in for a tight hug, weeping over the top of his head.

“You scared your mother as much as you scared me, Nicholas. Don’t you ever do that again. Do you understand me?” Bonnie choked out.

Despite her tight grasp on his neck, Nick nodded sincerely. “Should I assume that any more shenanigans will result in me being tied to the ceiling fan?” He sassed with a chuckle.

Nick felt several hard kicks under the table from Judy while Stu burst out laughing, certainly spilling his drink in the process. The todd returned the hug for a moment before letting Bonnie go. The doe quickly fussed over the fur on his head and muzzle while trying to blink her tears away.

“I don’t know how I would haul you up a ladder, but I’d damn sure figure it out.” Bonnie finally promised.

Nick smiled. “I have no doubt about it, Bonnie.”

“Judy. You come help me with the chowder.” Bonnie ordered.

“Of course, mom.” Judy replied.

The does made their way into the kitchen so that Bonnie could sort things out with the crew. Stu leaned forward to wipe down the table, trying to stifle a smile while looking Nick over. The todd seemed alright from his trip.

“I hope the booze will offset the usage of the fuel, but if not, I’ll leave you some money.” Nick said, dragging his chair closer to the table so that he could sit up.

“Don’t worry about that, Son. You practically brought a drum of whiskey back. And, the right flowers.” Stu said, pointing at the vase.

“So… The proverbial doghouse then?” Nick chuckled.

Stu shot him a reproachful look. “That’s _not_ the phrase that I would have used, and that remains to be seen.” The buck said. “On the other paw, you have another doe to eventually have to calm. Anyway, how’d the drive go?”

“It helped clear my head. Thank you.” Nick replied sincerely.

“Of course.” Stu said shortly, leaning in a little more. “Now, before you do anything else foolhardy, you are to come find me. We’ve all lost family here. I expect you to talk to me if it gets bad. Do you understand me?”

Nick nodded curtly to keep from addressing Stu in the frowned upon fashion. They both noticed Judy reapproaching with some plates and almost fell out laughing when a baby bunny nearly bowled her over with squealing laughter. Nick quickly dropped a paw and Marcy ran up his arm quickly, making no effort to be gentle on his fur as she crawled into the sleeve of his shirt to hide on his shoulder. Vera rounded the corner swiftly while looking around for her daughter and, upon seeing Nick, made a beeline straight for him. The little lump on his shoulder would not stay still or halt the giggling.

“I’m so sorry, Nick.” Vera said urgently. “I told her that it wasn’t a good time to play.”

“It’s fine, Vera. Marcy’s fine right here. Does she need to be fed?” Nick reassured the mother, deflecting as he noticed the bottle in her paw.

“I went to grab her bottle and the little one bolted. Would you like to feed her?” Vera asked, offering it to the todd.

Nick took it politely before poking the squirming lump on his shoulder gently. The little doe gabbed at him in gibberish before poking her head out. “Come on, little one. I’ll feed you, but you have to come out here and eat with everyone.” Nick urged her out with his free paw.

Meanwhile, Judy had set down the bowls for everyone while watching Nick with the utmost intrigue. Vera took the seat next to her father while Bonnie sat on his opposite side when Judy took her seat next to Nick, observing how well Marcy behaved for him while laying back in his crooked arm. The todd brought the bottle up to her grabby paws and let the kit have at the bottle. He would eat once Marcy was settled back on his shoulder, no doubt.

“When do you two have to head back, Judy?” Bonnie asked offhandedly.

“We have a train to catch tomorrow night at eight.” Judy replied sadly, wishing that they had had more time.

“Why not leave Sunday morning?” Her mother inquired.

“We need to rest up for work on Monday. The train ride is quite long as it is.” The doe responded.

“Will you be able to finalize some of the affairs on Sunday, Nicholas?” Bonnie’s attention turned to the fox.

“I will, yes.” Nick replied, watching as Marcy finished her formula before allowing her to climb back on his shoulder. As soon as she was happy with playing with his fur, Nick began to feed himself.

Once dinner was over, Nick relinquished Marcy to Vera and said his goodnites. Despite having accomplished extraordinarily little for the day, he was pushing himself past the point of exhaustion. Judy ended up following him downstairs at a close pace, no doubt concerned about where the todd was going to begin with. Probably under orders not to allow him to slip off for any more random errands. Once they made it to the room, Judy quickly shut the door and locked it.

“Will you shower tonight?” She asked abruptly.

“In the morning. Tomorrow will be a day for lounging around, I think.” Nick replied shortly.

The look on the doe’s muzzle was clear enough. She was going to drop the other hindpaw as her paws fiddled with the flower that she still held, so he took a seat on Judy’s bed. He very nearly dropped himself backwards to lay down, but the looming riot act kept him upright.

Judy looked down at the flower in her paws before sighing. “You shouldn’t have gone out today, Nick. Mom almost threw dad out into a snowbank when she heard that he had helped you sneak out.” She explained.

“The request for his help rests entirely on me.” Nick said honestly.

“I hear some of my stupid brothers are referring to him as ‘the General’ now.” Judy complained.

 _“That_ was not my doing.” Nick chuckled, his words sharp.

“I know whose doing it was, Nick!” Judy snapped, slinging her shirt off angrily.

Nick diverted his line-of-sight, feeling the fur on his neck bristle as he naturally raised his chin to expose his neck. The mammal that he cared about was hurt and she was pissed because he had worried her nearly beyond words. When Judy turned back around, she strode up to the todd and grabbed him by the collar roughly.

“You look at me right now! You explain today to me!” She said urgently.

Nick swallowed a lump hard. “I needed to clear my head, Carrots.” The simplest answer was all he had.

“What if something had happened to you, Nick!” Judy shouted, searching his face with her amethyst eyes.

That brought his muzzle up a little higher, as much as the doe would allow for. There was nothing that could be said that would satisfy Judy and that kept his muzzle welded shut. Judy released his shirt and took a seat on the bed next to Nick.

“You’re staying here again.” The doe said definitively.

“Alright.”

This time, Nick felt every move that he made. Pulling off his shirt, he slipped out of his pants before returning to the bed. The sheets were drawn back swiftly, and he climbed in. Nick found Judy still sitting on the edge of the bed. He reached out and grabbed her by the waist to drag her back against him, listening to the doe yelp at his attention. Nick wrapped her against his chest before curling up around her. A thrown back paw brought the covers over the two. He pressed his nose against behind one of her ears, watching them stand on end in front of his snout.

“I’m sorry that I worried you, Judy.” Nick whispered. “I always take time like that and I couldn’t take a walk.”

Judy’s ears fell to the front of her face as her body began to shake and curl in on herself. He heard her gasp, desperately grabbing at one of his paws as she began to cry in earnest.

“I’m so, so sorry, Nick!” Judy exclaimed. “I can’t even imagine…”

The doe’s cries and anguished keens hammered Nick in the chest as if he had been hit with a sledgehammer. He could hear her heartbeat racing faster and faster at the thought of his losing such a close family member as suddenly as he had. Nick closed his eyes before taking a breath to collect himself.

“Judy.” He whispered. _“Sweetheart._ I need you to breathe for me.”

Small, fuzzy paws kneaded his larger one as Judy’s breathing hitched. He could feel each exhale against his black pads. There was no way that he would allow the poor female to have a panic attack. Nick squeezed his eyes closed tightly and pressed his lips against the back of her head. Once he was certain that he had Judy’s attention, he continued speaking.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t take the time to introduce the two of you. My mother would have adored you because you’re such a kind doe. You let me bear that mistake.”

Judy stilled in his grasp for a moment before the wiggling began and she turned around on him. The only sound in the room was the brushing of fur against the rustling of the sheets that they were under. Nick’s heart damn near stopped when he felt Judy’s paw brush against his jaw before she pressed her lips against his. Time, on the other paw, did stop as the two stayed that way for a couple of moments. It was not the way that he had hoped he would earn her first kiss, but he was not going to complain. Nick could feel Judy trembling even harder, if that was even possible. When Judy eased back, she had kept her eyes closed while under Nick’s gaze.

“Don’t you dare try to bear it alone, Nick. Not when I’m right here with you.” She whispered back.

Nick waited for her to look up at him before trying to find his voice. “There are a couple of things that I have to take care of when we get back. Those things involve reporting to the skulk within the city.” He explained, brushing her ears with a careful paw. “It all should be complete no later than midnight, Sunday evening, but I am _not_ allowed to bring you.”

“Why not?” Judy hissed.

“I have to meet the skulk, Carrots,” Nick said, having trouble finding an explanation as he looked at the ceiling. “It’s for Reds only… To put it into perspective, Finnick wouldn’t even be allowed to just show up for a meeting. I don’t even know more than a half a dozen mammals, who aren’t red foxes, who had been allowed to meet with the Elders.”

“And, you’re not allowed to talk about it.” Judy said sadly.

“No.” Nick replied, though it was not the complete truth. There had been exceptions.

“So, what…? Does the skulk sit around in a basement or something?” Judy inquired.

Nick chuckled deeply. “I don’t know. I’ve never been there before.”

Amethyst eyes regarded Nick carefully before the doe gave off a weak smile and turned back around, scooting back up against the todd’s body as politely as possible. As quickly as Judy had turned her anger on him, the doe had fallen asleep in his arms. She was as exhausted as Nick was and he was to blame for it.

Distraction came for just a moment. His innermost voices were silent in the din of the room. He replayed the kiss once in his mind before curling up around the doe tighter to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >.>
> 
> What are you looking at?


	12. Sävyt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 100,000 words with this chapter. I'm actually quite proud of that. And, a lot of different scenes in this one. I wanted to really expand upon some of the aspects of being law-enforcement for the pair as well as expand the city layout for you all. More police stuff in over the next couple of chapters. :)

It was probably the first time in her life that Judy did not wish to return to work. The Hopps Family saw the duo off from the train platform with no small number of tears. Every single Hopps that had been immediately around the events of the trip went up to give Nicholas condolences and well-wishes, hugs and paw-shakes. Little Marcy bawled and kicked when the todd returned her to Vera: not doubt the bunny who would miss Nick the most. If it was not for the fact that Nick had other things on his mind, he might have lost his composure on the cushioned seats of their cabin.

Robby had shaken his Nick’s paw and slapped him on the shoulder while mentioning that he would see them in Zootopia soon enough. Bonnie had given him as big a hug as the mother had given Judy herself, no doubt apologizing again for his loss. Stu had spent longer on his hug of the todd, taking a bit of time to whisper urgently in a downturned ear. Judy had to roll her eyes when several of her sisters ran up to give the fox one large group hug while chattering well-wishes, apologizes, and compliments. Nick had hit it off with several of the mothers and some of Judy’s single sisters had picked up on that. Judy was fairly sure that it had been Tina that had slapped him on the ass as the todd was picking up his guitar.

The train ride back was spent in near silence. Not one word was spoken between them about what little time that they had been able to spend together. It was not surprising, but it was something that need to be addressed between the two. Judy attempted to “covertly” keep an eye on Nick while sorting through all of the photos that she had been tagged in on Furbook. The todd spent the entire trip quietly contemplating the snow-covered lands beyond the window. He would periodically rub the courser fur on the end of his chin with his claws, resting his eyes in the process, before reassessing the new ground outside. As soon as the trip ended, Nick dropped his stuff on his bed. Judy had heard the jingling of his keys a moment later. She had not expected him to want to get out to complete his tasks immediately and was surprised when Nick wished her a goodnight.

Judy had taken to her bed while listening to the initial roar of Nick’s Furd, her ears tracking the sound of the vehicle as it withdrew from the yard and drove down the street. She did not feel as if Nick was in danger by going out, but there was still concern for his well-being. The thought of all that the todd had already been through brought back the memory of the pit.

In the moments before the Nighthowler had taken Nick, she had seen the look of fear in his eyes as he had whipped around to try to find her an avenue of escape. He had hunched over in one last desperate attempt to stay sane while screaming for her to run. The last glance, that Judy received of his emerald eyes that evening, were filled with tears in a silent begging for forgiveness as his pupils finished constricting.

The shudder that wracked her body was not one born of fear of her partner. It was from fear of what he would have had to live with. The look that had been in his eyes made it understood, without a doubt, that he had forgiven her and thought of her as the most important being in his whole life at the time. No matter how short of a time they had known each other. After all was said and done that night, Fangmeyer had had to restrain Judy so that she did not harm Bellwether as other officers were loading her team into a SWAT transport. That had earned Judy a stern lecture. Had it not been for the fact that the cases were closed by the duo, the punishment would have been more severe, she surmised.

Judy’s nose scrunched up in frustration. Usually, her internal Council wouldn’t shut up at time like this. She was grasping for pleasant memories. She would have even taken the suggestions of daydreams more along the lines of erotic. Nothing presented for her, though. Judy rolled over under the sheet and found her phone. She wished for Nick’s swift return while listening to the sound of rain through one of her apps.

~~~~~~~~~

 _“Settle down!”_ Bogo shouted, hammering on the podium with a rolled hoof. “We received word from Interpol that a container ship will be docking at the Port of Zootopia tonight. Interpol says that they have accurate intelligence regarding a mammal smuggling operation that is bringing _product_ in from South America. The Mayor has offered assistance, to the joint Interpol-ZBI task force, by way of TUSK units.

“If you don’t see your names on that board,” The buffalo continued, pointing at the whiteboard off to their right. “You are to stay for further briefing. Everybody else to their designated patrols. Those patrols, around the port area, are to remain extra vigilant for runners. Dismissed.”

Nick and Judy both looked up at the board to find that they were not included in the standard patrols list. They kept their butts in their shared seat while waiting for the other patrol officers. Officers Fangmeyer and Wolford, Detective Grizzoli and Officer Delgato, and Officers McHorn and Pennington remained in the bullpen with the diminutive duo. Wolford was a shoo-in for the next detective’s slot due to all the undercover work that he had done with McHorn Rhinowitz, and Higgins, and it was reflected in the muted ZPD t-shirt and blue BDUs that he wore. Grizzoli was wearing simple civilian attire due to his own status.

“Out of the Burrow kitchens and straight into the fires, eh?” Nick muttered to Judy. The doe only replied with a curt nod.

Bogo stepped over and spun a tack board over to reveal a map of the Port of Zootopia’s infrastructure. Judy saw several “friendly” colors designating points-of-ingress for the other units involved with the task force. All other zones were marked in red or orange: denoting certain and assumed hostile locations, respectively.

“Alright. Our jobs are cover the southwestern portion of the land-based exits from the port itself. Due to the limited amount of mammalian power that we can wield here at Precinct-One, we will hold two critical customs entrances. TUSK has been tasked with the heliborne assault on the container ship while the ZBI pushes in from the east and southeast. The Coast Guard will be offshore to ensure that nobody gets away by fast-boat. The ZBI has stated that the smuggling crew should be assumed to be carrying medium-mammal grade small arms and will likely fight out due to not having a bug-out location here.” Idris Bogo explained, pointing at each relevant location.

“And, the buyers, Sir?” Grizzoli inquired.

“If the ZBI knows who they are, they aren’t telling us. I assume that they will be equally armed. Thus, we will be carrying our duty weapons with live ammunition. I also assume that the buyers aren’t local to Zootopia. It’s a hunch based on the fact that the ZBI aren’t telling us who they are.” The Chief responded.

“Rules of Engagement?” The wolf delved deeper.

“P-One will maintain a weapons-tight directive unless fired upon.” Bogo said deeply.

“Will you be on point for this one, Chief?” Nick chimed in.

“Yes. Hopps and Grizzoli’s teams will be on me at the primary southwestern Customs entrance while Fangmeyer leads McHorn’s team on a fifty-meter advanced perimeter beyond the gate. Fangmeyer, your section’s objective is to surveil, in tandem with the techs in the van, and prevent any unfriendly vehicular movements.”

“Any particular method, Sir?” Fangmeyer spoke up.

“I don’t care if you get Pennington to stomp on the vehicles, Officer.” Bogo said, a wisp of a grin found his lips and quickly disappeared. “Now, get into your BDUs. Split into your sections and take some time down in the range. You all will collect your issued gear and meet back here in six-hours. If you need to, catch a nap in the breakroom after checking your zeros. Dismissed.” Bogo said firmly, waving them off as he stepped out.

Excitement. Nervousness. Concern. The swirling concoction of emotions was not what the doe had been expecting on that first Monday back. The desire to get out and make the world a better place was barely overriding the concern for Nick. He had not made it back until well after 10:00 P.M. the night before. Judy had been bored out of her mind while sitting around the house by herself. Of course, Nick had not stated how long things would have taken prior, but the lateness of his arrival made her wonder if he was well-enough rested for assisting on this case.

The next cause for the nerves was rooted in the trepidation of carrying a firearm. Line officers in Zootopia were allowed to make the decision for themselves whether or not they would carry a firearm on them: after having qualified on one, of course. Early on in their partnership, Judy had mentioned it before the new year’s qualifications had taken place. Nick had offered to be the one to carry the lethal armaments on her behalf. Partly because he was comfortable with doing so whereas the doe was not. The last two years’ quals had been run as required for the Department and Judy was knowledgeable of all the weapons platforms that were available to the line officers, but she did not carry one. Nick had ended up looking into the regulations for firearms carry and approached her later on with a proposal. Nick asked that Judy pass the quals every cycle and told her that he would carry a concealed small-mammal handgun on him in case anything happened to the todd. If he was downed and his own sidearm couldn’t be obtained, she would be able to find the spare on his body for self-defense. She had agreed.

The duo collected their gear from the armory’s sergeant and stepped out into the empty firearm range bay beneath the Precinct-1 building after changing into the proper attire. Nick had done all of the due diligence for Judy so that she would have the proper gear for missions like this long before today. Judy remembered how much the todd had deliberated between structure- and armor-piercing versus soft-target, kinetic-dump capabilities when on operations like this one. In the end, the todd had asked her to the range, after a shift over a year before, and presented a custom ordered Brügger & Thomet MP9N with alternative caliber conversions. Nick had arranged everything with Bogo beforehand and justified the specialized platform with the fact that she was the only mammal within Precinct-1 that had to have everything customized to her size anyway.

The rabbit-sized submachine-gun came with .45-ACP and 6.5x25 CBJ conversions (with the associated magazines), a Surefire Scout weaponlight, an Aimpoint Micro H2 on a riser mount, a company-produced suppressor, two different holsters (thigh rig and chest-mount for her individual body armor), and all in a Pelican hard-case. Nick had mentioned that he requested that the trigger guard be enlarged so that he could use it in emergencies. All of the other mechanical ergonomics, the todd could use… But, his digits were a little too fat to fit into the guard. Nick had been blunt with the explanation initially. If something happened to her, the todd did not want to be sitting on a pool of ammunition for a weapon that he couldn’t readily utilize in an emergency.

Judy’s thoughts on the platform were favorable. The SMG had a side-folding stock and a removable, rail-integrated forward grip which aided in keeping down the rise of the muzzle on fully-automatic fire. The rate-of-fire itself was even tuned to the same 800-900 RPM range as the original Steyr design had been, as Nick had informed her. The weight of the suppressor - or "can" as Nick had referred to it as - on the end of the muzzle assisted with that even more. With an evenly selected paw, Nick suggested that they keep to the common Glock pattern of sidearms for the shared ammunition and magazine usage. He had come up with a requested a custom Glock-26 for her that was appropriately mated to a Glock-19 slide assembly for the additional feet-per-second gain in the 9x19mm NATO caliber. His duty carry was a proper Glock-19 and that meant, if anything happened to him, she would still be able to use his magazines.

Despite her concerns with carrying a firearm on duty, Judy had not been able to help imagining herself adorned in SWAT-style attire while standing in a dutiful pose with the sleek Swiss weapon. She may have made herself hot while thinking about how badass she would look that night. Many bucks would certainly pawoff to such a visual of the doe.

Snapping out of memories of the past, Judy found Nick throwing on his IBA with a focused look on his face. It had been nearly six-months since they had been on such a high-profile operation like this and the todd was just as serious of the fitment of his own gear as he was hers. Judy was ever attentive, noticing that he was thrusting a specific type of magazine into his bungie banded magazine holders along the front of his individual body armor. The todd had been rigorous in the final selection of his rifle platform and that had meant a lot of time was spent in contemplation.

“You finally chose a carbine?” Judy asked, looking over the clear polymer STANAG magazines for his 5.56mm.

“I loved what the Aussies did with their latest version of the AUG, but they never changed the mechanics of the trigger. Which meant that they didn’t dump the cross-bolt safety. Plus, the Israeli X-Ninety-Five offered more forward rail space with their Sixteen-inch platform.” Nick confirmed, withdrawing his bullpup rifle from a soft case.

“What happened with the Colt platforms that you were considering?”

“I consulted with the SWAT units and they suggested selecting a bullpup with the same mechanical ergos as the Colt because I was a smaller canine. I can only put on so much muscle mass to my overall profile. The wolves carry the Ten-Three Colts, but they informed me that I would get better ballistics with the newer Tavor because of the reversal of the layout _and_ the whole platform would remain as short as their Colts while having more barrel length. Plus, it would have the proper fire-selection switch.” Nick explained dutifully, not looking up from his work.

Judy watched as Nick ensured that his Surefire weaponlight had new batteries before placing a piece of electrical tape over the Trijicon’s tritium/fiber illumination band. He had blown her mind when first demonstrating how the illumination band worked with the optic’s reticle by merely placing and removing his paw over the top while the doe was looking through the optic. Once Nick was done with his checks, his muzzle came up to assess the paper target that was strung up downrange.

“You got your ears, Fluff?” He asked.

Judy quickly mimicked Nick as he put in his own internal hearing protection. He had glanced over at her quickly to ensure that the doe was ready prior to loading a Lancer magazine into the bullpup and releasing the bolt catch. His muscles rippled as the weapon was brought up into his shoulder. She saw the directional tab of the safety rotate 90-degrees and watched as the todd’s trigger finger fell down over the trigger. Nick quickly squeezed off two groups of three – the rifle roaring in the underground confinement – before adjusting his aim a little higher on the target, slowly stroking the trigger for more precise shots against the head of the silhouette target. Brass tinkled down from the wall that it struck after being ejected. It was so interesting to watch as his frame relaxed with a re-engagement of the safety before he assessed his shots through the 4x-power optic. After a moment, the rifle was dropped down, the magazine was removed, and the chambered round was ejected with a stroke of the charging handle.

Nick punched the target recall button and began to bag his rifle again. The lights were supposed to play Hell with one’s sight on the range. The target had been 100-yards away, at the maximum distance of the range. Once the target was closer, Judy was as pleased as Nick seemed to be with his target. The only indicator being his stock-straight ears. The first six-rounds fell inside a three-inch spread around the X-ring and the final four-shot group was all inside the blackened portion of the head. The todd’s sights were on. His proficiency wasn’t really surprising, though. He had always made sure to take the time to train because of the fact that he carried their weapons. In his first year, Nick had done a lot of training with SWAT and described his final training profile as being akin to a British Specialist Firearms Officer (SFO). Judy knew that he had taken the training to keep up with her rise to detective. He wanted to be right there with her along the way.

“That’s it?” Judy asked suddenly, finally realizing that he seemed done.

Nick shook his head before setting a distance for the target to be carried back out to. After carefully putting his rifle bag down on the floor, the todd shot upright while dragging his Glock from the holster on his belt. His right arm brought the weapon up on target while his left brought a magazine off of the table. He slapped the magazine into the well and ran the support paw over the slide over the handgun to chamber a round. Once his support paw found the grip of the weapon, he fired three rounds.

Slide lock. Right thumb on the magazine release. Left hand reaching for another magazine on his left hip. The sound of the empty magazine clattering on the cement floor was pronounced. He was loaded before it hit the deck. Slide released. Three more down range. Slide lock. Holster.

Even at 25-yards, Judy could see where the rounds fell on the target. Nick had slowed down for precision with his long-gun and sped up for maximum firepower on the sidearm. The last six rounds were mixed with the initial rifle group. Judy had no issue with admitting that this was one of the things that Nick could best her at. She did not practice nearly as much as he had prior to moving in together. It made her wonder how much he’d make it to the range after the holiday season was over. This was something that Nick took as seriously as a rabbit could receive a heart-attack. He never bragged or teased her about how good he was.

So, she fell into the routine that they developed.

Judy pushed her target out to 50-yards before readying the MP9 with a fully-loaded 20-round magazine. That particular magazine fit flush in the pistol grip’s magazine well and she carried the proper 30-rounders for operations. Nick had helped her organize her duty belt with the SMG magazines holstered on her left hip while her two spare Glock magazines sat in the front along her stomach. They weren’t interchangeable and her sidearm’s supply was set for backup purposes. She dropped the bolt release and came up on the target once it had made it to the designated range.

“Three sets of three.” Nick instructed.

The Aimpoint was an unmagnified dot sight, which selected in proportion to the Swiss weapon appropriately. Quite a bit of the 2-MOA red-dot covered the center of the target’s torso. She adjusted as close to the center as she could and placed a three-shot volley downrange. Judy had to rely more on her own trigger control due to the differences in the optics. Once the last two sets were placed on target, the SMG fell to the low-ready. She heard Nick’s voice as he reached over for the target controls.

“Aggressing target. Concise headshots. Fire until the target stops.”

As soon as the target began to move towards them, swaying on the wire-run hanger, Judy brought the MP9 up and carefully placed shots on the head until it stopped at 7-yards distance. Once she had safetied the weapon, Nick hit the recall button so that she could assess her work. The shots on the torso fell inside the 7-Ring of the center and all of her headshots had struck true. Some had fallen along the edges, but the rounds that bounced off skulls were still disorienting despite not being killing blows.

“Good?” Nick asked politely.

“Par for the course,” Judy commented. She had done no worse than the last time she had been on the range. “I need to get out here more, though.”

“Alright. Let’s get our duty ammo issued to us and get to studying.” Nick said.

Judy had not been worried about Nick after taking stock of the operation’s layout for only an hour. He had ended up laying out on top of one of the desks, on his back, while shutting his eyes for a bit. All of their gear was cased and piled at the legs of the desk below him. They were ready and merely waiting for the rest of the team to return from their ventures within the Precinct. Clawhauser had known of the evening’s operation and had been kind enough to bring them food a couple of hours later. It had brought the rest of the teams running. Nick continued to rest after eating while Judy finally sat down, allowing for the others to begin their dive into the organization and procedurals.

~~~~~~~~~

The strum of the Cougar armored vehicle held Judy’s attention as the driver sat parked a couple of blocks away from the southwestern port entrance. They were several hours beyond the initially scheduled nightfall and waiting patiently for the container ship to dock. Interpol would give the go-signal for all of the units to begin the operation.

 _“So, Chief?_ Are you supposed to be the Terminator with that new shotgun of yours?” Nick spoke up over the engine, laying along what was left of the back bench near the rear doors. He had looked like he was sleeping. “Or are ya goin’ for the Muldoon from Jurassic Park?”

“Shut up, Wilde!” Bogo shouted.

“You won’t let me listen to music and rock the bus. You won’t let me fill out lines-of-inquiry. What am I supposed to do then?” Nick continued to needle their boss.

“Sharpen your senses and shut the fuck up, Wilde!” Delgato shouted on behalf of Bogo.

“Yeah, yeah.” Nick shot back. “You’ll get to see my pretty eyes soon enough, darling.”

The comment brought a chorus of chuckles from all of them except Judy and the Chief. There wasn’t a single department or government official that did not know of Nick’s Nighthowler exposure. However, there were few outside of the armored vehicle that understood the extent of things. Bogo had to have mammals that he could trust in-the-know. He had wanted to bring Judy into the broader scope of Precinct-1’s operations and that meant that Nick could not be excluded. The list of reasons was extensive and could not simply be ignored.

 _“Interpol says they’re five-mikes from going in, Chief.”_ One of the tech’s radioed over their COMMs channel. _“They want us on-station now.”_

Judy hopped off the bench and took position behind Wolford, who was waiting to open the doors when they arrived, and Nick dropped down behind her. The team’s weapons were charged in the confined space. She heard Nick slap the bottom of his magazine one last time to make sure that it was properly seated in the receiver. The doe almost stumbled against Wolford when the Cougar began to roll out, interior lighting swapped to the red backup lights in the process, catching the bench railing as Nick grabbed her shoulder to keep her steady. When she looked back at Nick, he found her smiling gently at her. His eyes weren’t totally slitted, but it was clear now that he had been building his night-vision earlier.

A little over a minute later, the driver brought the armored vehicle to a halt at the gate, Wolford and Grizzoli threw the rear doors open, and the team bailed out of the Cougar. Judy led Nick around Wolford, and the duo took their position near the outbound security gate. Fangmeyer led her section down the road before ducking between stacks of containers on the right.

Nick knelt down behind the concrete barrier, throwing the fore-end of his X95 along the ledge of the barrier while his thumb was poised to flip the safety around. On a knee, the todd’s view was over the top of the optic so that he could assess the whole area without being visually funneled. Judy relied on Nick immensely in the later hours of the day. She could not see what he could through the inky gloom, jokingly accentuated by gantry lights that were randomly set beyond their location. The todd could see at least two-hundred yards further than the doe. Judy had mulled it over mentally before; wondering if that range was enhanced after the Nighthowler exposure.

Judy did her best to glare out over the top of the concrete barrier, knowing it was futile all the while. Her weapon remained hugged against her torso while she looked over the concrete block. Nick would keep them covered with Grizzoli and Delgato. It was a curse that the doe could hear better than all three predators combined, but their _sight_ was more powerful than her hearing. Even if it was just a wisp of movement at the edge of the distant darkness, the predators had a clue to the activity beyond the strictest of hearing confirmations for most prey. Their sight was roughly seven-times better than a rabbit’s. None of that mattered, though. They relied on Judy’s hearing just as much as she relied on their sight.

The reverberating sound of helicopter rotor-blades saturated the entirety of the port as the TUSK units were flown in and fast-roped onto the deck of the container ship. Bogo’s team watched the flashes of gunfire illuminated the upper decks prior to the helicopters flying out of hearing range, and after that the gunfire fell prominently on their ears. Judy tried not to focus on the dull flashes from the elevated deck. Nick was solely focused covering the parking lot beyond the immediate, internal intersection of the port’s entrance.

The unit listened to the COMMs chatter between TUSK and SWAT for the next couple-of-hours. No heads-up was given from Interpol or the ZBI and there was no activity on the southwestern gate. The doe knew that Bogo was probably upset for being “sidelined” in such a manner. And, Nick was understandably bored with watching the unyielding darkness for as long as he had. After the third-hour, the ZBI gave the all-clear order and asked that Precinct-1 held their positions.

Less than a half-hour after that, Judy heard Nick’s growling anger. The ZBI had decided to utilize simple school buses for the transfer of the liberated mammals. Delgato had even shot his muzzle off over the wideband channel. Bogo had jerked the lion aside to chastise him, but there was no refutation of his crude statement from the other units. Judy’s ears had fallen. There was a strong sentiment because of the fact that the entirety of the group was made up of river-oriented predators. There was not a single prey mammal involved. The preds of Precinct-1 were discontent with the fact that there _would be_ news network cameras behind the exterior police cordon of the port.

And, that meant there was no anonymity for the prisoners… _Slaves._ Judy saw that in each muzzle that was on the passenger side of the buses that went by. The lost and disoriented looks.

Bogo had received word that Interpol considered the area to be in full-control of Federal forces: sometime around 1:00 A.M. EST. It was at that point, and at his discretion, that Chief Idris Bogo swapped his initial units out with the previous patrol units. It was a stand-down procedure. There was no definitive hostile activity left and he could allow some of his newer recruits to handle the security while gaining the overtime. His dedicated units would be able to stand-down appropriately, thereafter.

The driver of the Cougar brought the unit back to Precinct-1 hastily. The heavy armored vehicle was launched into the underground parking structure, tossing Judy’s dinner into her throat at the abrupt descent. The wolf was a little overzealous with the throttle controls apparently. He was probably angry, as he had also seen what had occurred from his perched location: hanging out of the driver’s side of the cab with his sidearm at the ready. Once the vehicle was parked for the night, everyone dismounted to begin their routine of stripping off ballistic helmets and clearing their weapons.

Once their weapons were turned back into the armory, Judy quickly changed into her street clothes so that her and Nick could leave the station. The todd came out of the male’s locker room, playing with his keys in a paw. Before he could even link up with the doe, they both heard a crash from within the locker room. Nick did not seem concerned with the sound, so Judy fell in-step with him as they headed out.

“Delgato?” She asked.

“Yeah, Fluff,” Nick sighed. “He’s pretty pissed off. Bogo wants us to come in at nine, instead of seven, to handle the debrief and paperwork with him.”

“What’s going to happen with those mammals?” Judy wondered aloud.

“They’ll be kept at the TUSK HQ, I imagine. The smart ones will request asylum either here or in the States. The rest will end up being sent back to their home countries.”

The duo made it to Nick’s truck in the parking lot and hopped in. Nick threw the truck into drive and turned on the lights before pulling out onto main street. The dull orangish-yellow light illuminating from the streetlamps washed through the cab and over the fox sitting next to her like waves on a beach.

“How are you doing, Slick?” Judy finally inquired.

“We helped make the world a better place, but I can’t say that I’m not a little bitter about the methods used by the other agencies.” The todd groused. “You?”

“I feel the same way.” Judy admitted sadly.

“Tomorrow will be a good day.” Nick said, trying to be optimistic about things while steering the truck into the driveway.

Nick unlocked the front door before allowing Judy to step inside. He ended up turning back out to the darkness to look around for a moment, eventually moving inside and closing the door behind him.

“You want me to whip you up something to eat, Carrots?” Nick inquired, watching as the doe was making her way up the stairs.

“That would be wonderful. Thank you, Nick.” She replied, looking back at his curious muzzle.

“No problem. Go grab a shower. Food’ll be ready when you’re done.”

Judy nodded and proceeded upstairs, listening as Nick slowly made his way into the kitchen while she turned into the bathroom. The todd had pulled out his phone as he made his way. He quickly fired off a group message to his band-mates to let them know that he wasn’t going to be able to meet this week as per the norm. He did not allude to the reasons why. There were still matters that needed to be attended to regarding his mother’s passing. Vivian’s lawyer had called him while he was meeting with the skulk and notified him that he could pick up his mother’s will and trusts document.

A pan was brought out and set on a heating stovetop before Nick began working on the ingredients for a midnight breakfast omelet. Personally, he would have settled for one of the microwave burritos. That was pushed aside with the desire to see the doe upstairs properly fed. Once it was cooked, Nick portioned off some for Judy and then mixed some chicken into his portion for a more thorough cooking. The scents of the chicken made him wonder if that bothered the younger doe. As Nick was plating his portion, he could hear that Judy had concluded her shower and was heading back downstairs. The dial of the stovetop controls was clicked off. The todd leaned back against the counter and began eating. He could see the doe turn around the railing of the staircase in the din of the hallway. She was wearing one of her larger ZPD training shirts and shorts, ruffling a towel over her head and ears to dry them out properly.

 _Christ wept, she’s gorgeous,_ Hope whispered internally.

Nick’s eyes fell down on his plate while he slowly continued to feed himself. It was December, after all. The pinching weight in his shoulders was more prevalent and would become even worse over until well into March. He had kept up a valiant effort of ignoring thoughts of the doe’s lips on resting his only a few nights before and he had made sure to dutifully ignore the intoxicating scents that occasionally permeated the upstairs shower or crept out of her room, like a true gentle-mammal, since they had moved in together.

 _The lack of a proper designated_ season _for bunnies is going to be my undoing,_ Nick thought as his muzzle curled ever so slightly.

Judy went straight over to the plate that he had left for her on the kitchen island and dove in. They were both extremely hungry after the day’s long-haul and the portions would sate them until they could pick something up in the morning. He had taken his time while Judy polished off her plate quickly, slowly forking his portion while waiting on the doe to relax.

“Thank you, Slick! That was great!” Judy said, taking her plate over to the sink.

“You’re very welcome,” Nick acknowledged. “Go get some sleep. We’ll be busy today.”

“You, too.” She replied softly, giving the todd a wave before heading back upstairs.

The slow consumption of his food was emphasized as he focused on ensuring that she had well and truly gone to bed. Once Nick was done, he made his way to the downstairs bathroom at the back of the main floor. The water to the shower was turned on before the todd shucked the vestiges of his uniform. The itch was growing stronger by the moment as he stepped into the enclosed shower, closing the door behind him. He knew why the feeling was so prominent now. Nick was the last of his lineage and his natural urges were coaxed by the need to reproduce. The heated pressure of the water was incredibly satisfying against his aching muscles. Soap was applied over his frame while his thoughts were immersed in fantasies of the amethyst-eyed female upstairs, causing him to fall forward against a raised forearm. His free paw shot down to curl around his aching testes before roughly grasping his sheath.

Nick could not even remember the last time he had been able to manually curb the desires that he had for Judy. It had been so long that his extending cock was already throbbing and releasing pre-cum against the tiled wall, stiffening and presenting faster with the sudden, wrapping pressure of his digits. He couldn’t help the sudden growl that escaped through clenched fangs, eyes welded shut as he thought of the doe’s soft fur and luscious moans. There was a bit of pain for the todd as he forced his sheath back over his prematurely swelling knot. This was the worse it had ever been in his life.

Nick let his brow smack against the tile as his supporting paw came down to clasp around his knot, stroking the rest of his angered red cock urgently. His blood was boiling until the pressure hit a precipice, listening to the doe of his dreams whisper his name. The grasp on his knot became merciless as his pumping speed took on an animalistic vigor. When the tendril snapped, Nick gasped at its cumulation. The throbs were powerful in tandem with his release: shooting his seed rather forcefully against the stall’s tiles. The growl that ripped through his restraint was just as powerful.

Gasping and panting, the todd released his tapered cock to focus on massaging his knot. His nerves were stimulated well beyond the usual summertime amounts. The sensitivity was so powerful that it dulled the feeling of the heat from the shower for several minutes while he listened to the waning coos from the doe in his mind. Energy eventually fell below the reserves, forcing Nick backwards and slumped down against the opposite wall. He was not going to get as much sleep as he had originally wanted now that he had to wait for his member to thin.

It was quite obvious that his pupils had reverted to their constricted stylization. It was more prominent now due to the greyed encirclement around the center of his visual focus. It made Nick wonder if it had always been like this for their primitive predator ancestors. His brain was taking in the colored focus and making his mental sensory buzz… _vibrate_ in the back of his skull, just above his neck.

After thirty-minutes had passed, Nick was finally able to stand and begin washing down the shower. He used his own fur shampoo against the tiles to wash away the smell as his member finally settled back into its sheath and, then, he washed his fur again to remove the pheromone scent that had leaked from his pores. He was confident that Judy would not just stumble into his bathroom wantonly, but he wasn’t going to take the chance of leaving the scent of his activity behind.

Turning the shower knob off, Nick stepped out and dried off before taking his clothes out to the laundry hamper and heading upstairs with a towel wrapped around his waist. It was time to get some sleep so that he could focus on the endless black-and-white print on his bright workstation computer screen.

~~~~~~~~~

Diligent as Judy Hopps was, there was no ignoring the fact that paperwork was extremely tedious and boring. The crackle of Nick’s radio and the dutiful tapping of their claws on their respective keyboards were the only things piercing the quiet of their shared cubicle. Nick was extremely focused on his own reports. Usually, he would take periodic breaks to go devise his next big prank on one of the other officers. Despite his presence, the doe still expected to hear some kind of ruckus regarding such adventures. It was amazing to see how focused he was. Three more forms were filled out before Judy snuck another look at Nick. She nearly jumped in her chair when she found his eyes on her.

“You look at me as if I’m about to spontaneously combust, Fluff.” The todd said with a playful grin.

“Just wondering if you were done yet.” Judy said, playing it off while her ears dropped to hide her blush.

“Done before you, no less.” He chuckled.

“Be still my tender heart… There’s hope for Nicholas Wilde yet.” Judy fired back.

Nick stood up with a grimace. “Don’t let it get around that I can be reliable. That would tarnish my rep.” He said, offering a paw to take her paperwork.

Judy passed off her printouts and watched as Nick strode off to Bogo’s office. There was no reserved consideration to ignore the sway and twitch of his black-tipped, russet tail. The doe sat in the cubicle for a little over ten-minutes before hearing the chime from her phone.

_“Dress down, if you want. We’re done for the day. I’ll drop you off at the house.”_

A second later, another text chimed in.

_“Unless you wish to join me on my errands.”_

Judy’s mind was sent into a tizzy as her hindpaws fought to get moving against the flurry of furry thumbs that wanted to respond with demands for explanation. _Of course,_ the gray-furred doe wanted to go with Nick. To see what he was up to. He hadn’t explained _one single thing_ about his disappearance after making it back from Bunnyburrow. That got the better of her inquisitive side to the point where Judy could have scaled the walls on her own hindpaws from how crazy it drove her in annoyance and concern.

The thing was…

Judy knew that _nothing_ would get the better of the russet-clad fox unless it was of his own choosing.

It made her remember the plan that she already had. The todd would get his…

With a push of a couple of buttons, their desktops were shut off and Judy rushed away from the cubicle. The flight of stairs was taken in flight and the velocity of the gray-furred missile caused the female locker room door to crack off of the wall. The male’s locker room door slammed open just after and Judy heard bellowing despite the fact that theirs had closed firmly.

 _“Wilde!”_ Someone bellowed just before the closure. _“You asshole!”_

Not quite torn enough to pause her movements, Judy quickly threw her original civilian attire back on before peeking out of the locker room door to see what the issues in the atrium were.

“Woah!” Nick said, raising his paws up at his friend. _“Wolfie!_ What’s the problem?”

The gray wolf was splattered at the chest with the most bombastic pink paint that could be imagined. Judy mimicked a stereotypical Clawhauser as her paw shot up over her muzzle, wondering just what in the cabbage patch Nick was thinking. Nick’s paw shot up in her direction, indicating that the larger canine needed to acknowledge something.

“Buddy, I’ve fallen in lockstep with ZPD’s gray-furred darling the entirety of the day,” Nick spoke urgently. “She can vouch for me! And, I was in Bogo’s office just now!”

Like a mammal in the headlights, Judy’s mind blanked when Wolford’s eyes were snapped onto her. But only for a second. It was a fact. Judy had been able to see Nick the whole of the day, minus the short period that he was turning in reports. There was _no way_ that Nick had managed to sneak away for even a second. It was not even feasible to conceive the idea that Nick had managed to talk another officer into pulling a Wolford-in-Nick’s-fur undercover disguise – _to fool her, first and foremost_ – while completing the task of tomfoolery. Judy finally nodded with urgency at the wolf, making the final confirmation.

The intricacies were far deeper than even that, though. Wolford was Nick’s closest friend in Precinct-1, aside from Judy… And, that meant that there was not a single mammal within that would believe that Nick had pulled such a prank on the wolf. Judy was the only suspicious one in that regard. She knew _better._ She simply didn’t know _how._

Wolford huffed in annoyance before turning back and heading for the male’s locker room while Nick took a moment before turning towards the entrance. He was still in his uniform. Judy quickly caught up to the todd in the parking lot and fell in as they made their way to his Furd. The doe shot the todd a concerned look after the doors were slammed closed, watching how he looked calmly out the windshield across the parking lot. Not a word had been spoken before Nick began to laugh ecstatically.

“You didn’t!” Judy belted out.

“How could I have?!” Nick retorted, beginning to lose his breath in the process.

The red fox was laughing so hard that he couldn’t even drive them away from the precinct. A chime on his brought the noise down to a chuckle and Judy watched as he wiped his eyes before opening the message. It only lasted a moment before Nick’s eyes went wide, starting to shake as the laughter renewed. It was even making the truck rock on its wheels. The phone was turned around, bobbing up and down with the todd’s entertained antics. Judy shook her head with her own amusement, taking the phone away from him so that she could see the candid shot that Grizzoli had sent Nick. The other wolf had caught the moment after the splattering occurred in the locker room. Even she could not withhold her own giggles at that point.

“You’re such a bad influence, Slick.” Judy snorted. “But, I don’t believe for a second that you didn’t have a paw in this.”

Nick eventually regained his composure so that he could reacquire his phone, grinning as he remained silent against the accusation. He would certainly not implicate himself. It made it even harder for Judy to know for sure due to his impressed amazement of the prankster.

“So,” Nick said, chuckling still. “Where to, Miss Hopps?”

“I’m going with you, dumb fox.” Judy said firmly.

“Yeah. I assumed as much.”

Their drive took them into the Ottersdam subdistrict. The todd did not seem to be in a rush and missed several lights that he could have made it through with ease. Judy found that he was incredibly considerate to others and his passenger when he was driving around; not one to attract undue attention or show hostility inside or outside their usual patrol vehicle. Eventually, Nick pulled the vehicle up in front of a small office building and parked along the curb. The clatter of his belt against the interior frame brought her eyes back to him.

“I’ll be right back, Fluff.” He said, checking his mirror to ensure the door wouldn’t be torn off by a passing vehicle before hopping out.

Judy looked at the digital radio interface to find that it was just after two in the afternoon. The doe had not brought a jacket along, not knowing that they would end up this far north and relatively close to the end of the Climate Wall to the northeast. Crevasse Valley was beyond that particular point. It reminded her that Bogo never really sent the pair on patrols in Tundratown. Only a pawful of times had they had gone over the bridges or through the tunnels leading the Rocky Peaks subdistrict. It was a bit of a blessing because rabbits weren’t well suited to that level of cold and she hated wearing the Arctic-grade boots that her parents had for the warren. It was a far more unforgiving cold than what they experienced in Bunnyburrow.

A glare of sunlight was thrown her way from the building, Judy’s ears shot up to find Nick briskly walking down the short entryway path, carrying an envelope against his side, and over to the truck. He popped his head out long enough to check that it was clear and darted into the Furd with a crack of the door. The envelope was placed on the center console between them and Judy did her best not to be nosy and read the white label that adorned it.

“I forgot how cold it was up here.” Nick mumbled, cranking the wheel as he waited for the street to clear. Once it had, he flicked the signal and accelerated into a U-turn to get them heading back south: the wheels whined underneath them.

There was a nervous air in the vehicle. Nick seemed antsy as he ignored the beautiful skyscrapers to the west, directing the truck onto Lionheart Avenue to head south. Eventually, he ducked across the river into Hyenahurst to follow the quieter southern road on that side. The lateness of the day had a mixture of lunch and shift traffic causing the drive to take considerably longer than usual, but Nick eventually crossed the Palm Subdistrict bridge to take them into the southernmost reaches of Acorn Heights. They actually weren’t all that far away from the house, but it seemed like they were headed to Lion’s Bay. The drive took them past the Riverside ZTA station and Judy could see the Zootopia Sound Causeway, which looped over the water from Big Dunes Subdistrict in Sahara Square all the way around to Mole Harbor Port in Savanna Central. Near the center of the Causeway, it split. Mammals could take the highway to the Burrows if they wished to travel the two-hundred and fifty miles by car. She had never been out that way. The designers of the city had originally chosen to take the rail-lines through the west side of the city, through the Nocturnal Range before they split off north and south. The causeway was finalized much later after the southern ports and harbors were situated.

“It’ll be hell on gas mileage, but I was wondering if you’d like to drive out to the warren.” Nick commented, noticing that she had been staring at the Causeway until it disappeared.

“You want to drive out? But, it’s so far.” Judy said in wonderment.

Nick chuckled. “The speed limits and straightness of the shot down keep the travel time on par with the rail services. Even after the fueling that we’ll end up doing. But, it’s up to you.” The todd explained.

The truck was finally brought to a halt in the Woody Slopes subdistrict and it caused Judy to look around in surprise. Nick had brought them to a cul-de-sac in a modest community. It suddenly clicked in Judy’s mind that they must have been on Cypress Grove Lane.

“You want to come in, Carrots?” Nick asked, looking up the hill at the house.

“Nick?” Judy said with another start.

“Come on, you inattentive bunny.” He replied, chuckling softly. “I need take a look around.”

Without further explanation, Nick opened his door and slipped out of the vehicle after grabbing the envelope. The rear door popped open so that a bag could be withdrawn from the seat. Judy shot out of the truck to keep up with the todd as he began his walk across the lawn. There was no worry of having the neighbors become suspicious of their presence. Nick was still wearing his uniform, after all.

“Once upon a time, not quite as far back as the days when Bogo first discovered fire, I lived here.” Nick said, removing some keys from his pocket and sliding one into the lock with a deft paw.

“She left you the house.” Judy said smally.

“I assume that’s what it says. The attorney handed over the keys and didn’t mention their return.” Nick pushed the door open, letting Judy walk inside before he hit the lights.

As sure as Judy had considered it, she now knew that it was his mother’s will inside the envelope that Nick was carrying into the dining area. The todd took a seat at the head of the table after setting his bag down. His attention was entirely on the papers that he was removing as Judy’s paws came together, quietly moving over to sit down nearby. Concern for him overrode the curiosity to explore the house and left her rooted to the chair as she watched Nick’s eyes slide across the lines of the document, flipping the first page of the stapled stack over after a moment. Several-minutes passed before he completed the document, taking a moment to go back over one of the pages. Then, he set it down on the table. The todd’s tail flicked nervously next to him.

“I need to grab a couple of things. You can take a look around if you want,” Nick finally commented, looking over at her. “Or, I could give you a tour.”

“I’d like that.” Judy said quietly.

“As you can see, there isn’t much to look at. Mom was living in an apartment closer to her place of work. I, uh…” Nick paused, standing up and collecting his bag. “I took care of things there already.”

The paperwork was left alone while Nick took her through the house slowly. The Wilde Family all had a collective love for the color green. The darker forest color was splashed with lighter shades of the early spring grasses, not quite a pure green but not tainted in the yellow hues either. If was as if a Bunnyburrow forest canopy had been merged with the early sweetgrass fields. The kitchen was dulled in a shade of robin’s egg blue. As if it had been Vivian’s personal sanctuary. All of the remaining appliances and utensils were covered in white sheets. There was no hum of the refrigerator or glow of the stovetop clock.

Nick flowed through the room as if it wasn’t even there. Judy noticed that he did not look around or attempt to touch the history in the room; merely taking steps towards the back hallway. There was evidence that the wall had previously been host to several picture frames: the color of the paint showing through cleaner than the other majority of the walls. At the end of the hall was a doorway to the backyard. Halfway down it, there was a door on the left and on the right. Both were open. It was like there was a whisper within the house that pulled Nick towards the one on the left.

When Judy peeked in, she found that the room had to have been his. The bed was covered with a sheet, the walls were painted in a stylish hot-rod red with golden accents, and surrounding dust-laden desk were the empty cases of several instruments. The memories of the home were starting to show through on Nick’s face. A crinkled pull at the ends of his eyes was barely caught by Judy as he turned past her, heading for the other room in the house. It was such a shame, to the doe, that there was not more of his kithood in the room for her to see. Judy turned on her heel and crossed the hallway to find Nick.

The room of John and Vivian Wilde room looked much like the living room in respects to the color orientation and was complimented by a gorgeous view through the large bay window with the nature outside on display. There were several short-stacks of boxes in the corners, some poking out of the closet itself. The only thing in the room that was not protected from the sun and dust was the large wardrobe. Nick had already opened the doors to the tall bedroom piece. The bag that he had been carrying throughout the house was carefully set down next to his right foot.

Judy slowly walked over to Nick’s side, finally getting a glimpse at what was held within. At the very center of the chest-height – for a fox – shelf was a tall, silver canister. Behind that canister, on the back wall a little higher up, was a picture of red fox. No doubt, John Wilde. There were differences between the photo and his son. The father had more black accenting around his muzzle and ears. They had the exact same shade of green in their eyes. The most distinct difference was that John had a calm, kind smile on his muzzle. His eyes, on the other paw, were as wily and as smug as Nick was in his whole being. No doubt, it was from the difference in life experiences.

Nick leaned down and opened the backpack, pulling the flap open and surprising Judy as the movement revealed a similar canister contained within.

“I bought Mom home, Dad.” Nick whispered.

Taking hold of his father’s metal urn with careful paws, Nick removed it from the shelf and set it in the bag. He, then, took the framed picture to pack it away. There were several stacked books, little knick-knacks, and other pictures. Another picture, a capture of the couple while they had been out on a date, was selected from a lower shelf along with the book that sat under it. There was only room in the bag for the second picture frame. Judy felt her lip quiver in sadness when Nick turned towards her.

“Will you hold onto this, please?” The todd asked.

Feeling the tears welling in her eyes, Judy could only nod in urgency as she took the photo album in her fuzzy paws. It was immediately brought to her chest, in wrapped arms, to protect it. The todd knelt down so that he could spread a paw over the top of the two canisters. He spoke in gentle Vulpish before bringing the flap back over and zipping up the bag. Standing up, he quietly closed the wardrobe’s doors and lifted the backpack onto a shoulder.

“It’s time to go, Fluff. I’ll show you more another day.” Nick said, sounding apologetic as he stepped out of the room. Extinguishing the light as he went.

Judy followed Nick quietly back through the house, waiting as he collected the documents that had been left on the table before the two exited the house. The lock clicked under a turned key while Judy looked around the area to make sure that they were both safe. Her work-mode had kicked in as if they were watching over a whistleblower or witness protection interest. If someone tried to interfere with Nick’s business or attempted to steal his bag, she was going to kick them into the next galaxy. There was no consequence too large to dissuade her.

Once the duo was sitting comfortably in the truck, Judy relaxed a bit. The photo album had been placed on her lap so that she could brush her paw over the embossed words on the leather cover. It was old. The introductory text was that it belonged to the Wilde Family. In smaller letter below it, it had the names of two grandparents, John and Vivian, and later on, Nicholas Wilde’s name had been added. His letters were still somewhat shiny from the golden accenting.

The doe looked up to find Nick watching the house for a moment more, his paw still hovering over the shifter on the steering column. Just as she was about to say something – or felt like she wanted to but had no idea what – he pawed the shifter down and rolled away from the curb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! More to come in the next one!


	13. Filtration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first half of this chapter was an emotional strain to write. The song that's been linked is extremely important to listen to while reading to that portion.

[ **Bleeding Me – Metallica** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gscpOtPmS7s)

_**Part-One** _

Nick sat in the driver’s seat of the patrol vehicle; his head angled low-right as he watched the speed monitor for the vehicle mounted radar system. Every couple of seconds, his eyes would flick up at the road to see the next car that had the new reading. It was the second day of standard patrols. The duo was in Sahara Square and it was already looking like they would be back the next day. They hadn’t given out a single traffic violation ticket. It was how it worked, though. The real baddies would push some high-profile crime run on the city. There would be a day or two’s worth of counter-operations and raids. A half-day or day of paperwork after that, if the case had been closed with the operation, and then the next two-weeks would be staggeringly dull. The operation would go out over the newsfeeds and, all the sudden, all of Zootopia was on its best behavior.

Lunch had already gone by and the sunlight was bearing down on the black hood, glaring through any piece of glass or off any piece of metal that had an angle from his front. Luckily, it was not so hot to have to keep the windows up and the air conditioner on.

In the passenger seat, Judy was supposed to be taking a bit of a nap. But, between the fact that she was far more bored than Nick was and her curiosities about their trip out on the previous Tuesday’s evening were driving him crazy. He could hear the difference in her elevated heart-rate, compared to when she was asleep, and he was waiting for her to give up trying to hide under her patrol cap. Judy was trying to be respectful and it was a kind gesture. Judy was also like a battery being charged with a device that was rated for over what the battery could handle. Eventually the energy had to be vented or there would be a detonation. Judy was _also_ stubborn. She would press for answers until you gave up. But, she could also use that drive to hold back until she was blue in the face with frustration at herself.

Nick was fine, truth be told. But, because Judy was being stubborn, he was trying to figure out a prank for her that wouldn’t give the doe a heart-attack. The todd gave her the side-eye to ensure that the doe could not see him from under the patrol cap. Once that curiosity was satisfied, his eyes wandered over her form. She was laid back against the corner of the seat and the door with her hindpaws crossed on the center console between them. The twitch of her fuzzy digits had him second-guessing if she was asleep or not. He decided to play a low card to draw her out.

“I’m pretty sure Clawhauser painted Wolford.” Nick said loudly, still watching the road.

“Turn the radar down, Nick!” Judy snapped at him from under the hat.

 _Well, that didn't work,_ He thought.

Nick’s brow raised in annoyance as he released a sigh through his nostrils. “We’re down to three-over, Carrots. I’m being a dick just by having it that low. And, they’re not even going the speed limit out here. I’m not going to be a Townie and lower it to one-over _in the hopes of_ catching someone when the average median is four-under.” He replied calmly. “What did I tell you when you finally tracked me down?”

“You told me to be plain with you.” Judy muttered.

“The other night…” Nick said slowly, taking another firm breath as he took the first step for her. “I asked Karma to let my parents walk together in their next life... Your turn.”

The annoyance dissipated when Judy threw her patrol cap up against the bottom edge of the windshield. He had hit the nail on the head, but it felt like he had driven the patrol vehicle over a landmine, so the fox held fast.

“How do you know?!” She asked loudly.

“You’re challenging the best mammal in the business at the art of reading mammals.” Nick countered simply. “And, it’s you. I trust you. And, you trust me.”

“That explains nothing.” Judy lied.

“Your fuzzy little head will pop off if you don’t ask your questions?” Nick chuckled questioningly, still not taking his eyes off the radar. “And, I’m _telling_ you that it's fine.”

Nick could not keep the smile from showing when the doe growled at him. More time passed before she decided to speak up.

“I thought that your father was buried.” She finally said.

“Considering the fact that I was at the funeral, I can say I thought so, too.” Nick said, setting the radar-gun in a door cubby before picking up the mic. “Dispatch, this is Unit-Three. Mark us down for rolling patrol.”

 _“Roger that, Unit-Three.”_ Clawhauser radioed back.

Nick pulled their patrol vehicle out onto the road and began driving around the district, eyes flicking down to check the time to ensure when they needed to head back. Both of the duo knew that there was more that needed to be said.

“Mom left me a letter explaining everything. The marker was more for everybody else that knew the couple and, later, for me after I left. I never really considered it... But, it makes sense. Red foxes don’t do well separated from their mates, so my mother kept my father as close to her as she could.” Nick finally explained, several miles down the road.

“What will you do with them?” Judy asked cautiously.

“I don’t know… Mom didn’t leave me with any special requests.” Nick said, brow up as he tilted his head side-to-side. “Both my parents were brought to Zootopia by their parents. They didn’t really _belong_ anywhere in the world. They didn’t have it any better than I did growing up and they grew up just as alienated. I don’t think it’s right to put them in the ground here and I have nowhere to take them internationally.”

“What will you do then?” The doe inquired quietly.

“They’re going to stay together in the house for now.” Nick replied simply. It was not even debatable. “That won’t bother you, will it?”

“No! Of course not!” Judy blurted out. Nick could feel her eyes boring into the side of his skull.

That response caused Nick to fight between a frown and a grin in turn, ears pinning down at the sudden scrutiny that he was under. It was expected from the doe. But, it was also a bit of an issue that she did not understand.

“It’s weird for foxes that aren’t related, OK? It’s superstitious for some.” Nick explained in a clipped manner. “I don’t know if it’s the same for bunnies.”

“Even it if was, Nick… You know that I’m different from others.” Judy said, hearing every bit of the inflection of concern.

“That wouldn’t stop a lingering concern from me: if you had a specific raising. That’s my point here. I’ve seen welcomed guests leave homes over such a revelation.” The todd continued, waving a paw sympathetically. “I have never had a problem with it, despite my species’ specific concerns about the dead, and I didn’t want you to be surprised by it.”

“Of course not, Nick! I asked you to go in on this place with me so that we could both feel comfortable and safe!” Judy urged.

Life’s cracking whip – or Karma’s, depending on who was viewing the situation – was a helluva distraction for Nick lately. The red fox was extremely analytical, though. The loss of his mother was devastating, but it also shored up his resolve. There was nothing left for him to defend on his own frontlines. There was just the doe – Judy Hopps. Carrots. Fluff. His dumb bunny. And, he would fight for her. Defend her.

“Do you feel ‘comfortable’ and ‘safe’, Judy?” Nick asked, throwing down the gauntlet. “You said ‘we’ and we haven’t covered the ‘you’.”

Nick did not have to look over to raise any more meaning from the sudden gasp that she released. Judy had been deflecting from herself the entire time they have been together; since that fateful night in the pit. Nick had been prepared to let her open up on her own about things _because_ the doe was not like him. There weren’t the same defense mechanisms in her that the todd already had learned. But, nearly three-years later? Nick was rightfully concerned that it would eventually all come crashing down on her. He knew. He knew that the beautiful, gray-furred bunny could lift anything over her own head. But, when Judy was the one putting the weights on her own barbell? That would mean a catastrophic collapse at some point.

And, Nick was not going to let it get that far.

Nothing more was said for the remainder of the patrol. Nick reported in to Clawhauser that they were going off-duty and returning to the station for the end-of-shift after another hour had passed. He had planted the seed in her mind and could only hope that it would germinate quickly within his partner. There was nothing to feel bad about anymore. Technically speaking, Judy had requested him as a partner within the ZPD. That meant that he had to ensure that she was as mentally sound as he was in the scheme of their logistical compatibilities. She had expected the same of the todd, in turn. There was nothing for him to feel bad about… but, Karma did not give one solitary fuck about his feelings. There was no helping feeling like a shitheel.

The duo returned home shortly after five in the afternoon. Nick did not bother cleaning up after the front door had closed behind them. He left Judy to complete her normal routine while he began making dinner for them both. It was a simple affair comparatively. The gray doe ate her dinner, after the fact, in an orderly fashion and thanked him for it cordially. After that, Judy went straight upstairs and not even Nick could miss the emphasis behind how softly the doe closed her private door.

He spent the next couple of hours cleaning up the kitchen and washing the laundry before sneaking out the back door. Darting out into the darkness, Nick knew exactly what he needed to do in the moment. Judy would be safe and, no thanks to him, preoccupied. The resounding sense of betrayal almost made the todd pitch a plate at the wall for his impromptu words earlier on. The todd felt like he had painted Judy into a corner with the question and he was furious at himself. No matter how sound the reasoning was.

Running down through the streets that he knew well, Nick ducked through chain-link fence bolt-holes and over picket fences for several miles. Friedkin would have been proud of the todd’s performance on the makeshift physical training run, no doubt. He slowed within the last half-mile to catch his breath. Mimi’s eventually fell into his sightline and Nick took his time entering through the front doors. There was no helping the sigh of relief that pour out of the todd at the sight of the building.

The stillhouse was moderately filled out with the earliness of the evening, so Nick took a seat at the end of the bar and waited for Gerard Deacon to make his appearance from within the backroom. When one of the waitresses tried to serve Nick, he merely raised a calm paw to wave the female away.

The Gray eventually came out a few minutes later, noticing the fact that the non-discrete waitress was urging him to deal with the newcomer. As soon as Gerard saw that it was Nick, the fox angled his head towards the paying customers, taking in his surroundings by eye instead of beelining it straight for the customer with the most important business. Slowly, Nick watched as the other todd made his way down the bar towards him, servicing any mammal that needed a new refreshment between them first. Nick withdrew a folded twenty between his fingers and waited for the visual to be seen. When Gerard saw the indicator, but he was looking around the area for the other members of the group, before the todd minutely shook his head from side-to-side in declination before raising a pointed finger at the stage. The customer in front of Gerard was looking at the Gray like he had lost his mind.

Nick pushed off the bar with a purpose, hearing the sound of a whistle off to his right. He knew it was Gerard giving a signal for something. Nick already had a hunch to what it was and withdrew his phone, typing out a quick message on his notepad before vaulting up on the stage. Sure enough, three other foxes materialized out of the gloom from behind the stage, throwing themselves up on it to meet with the visitor. Nick quickly flashed the message to the group and saw them all return the confirmation with fanged and determined grins. It seemed that they were all as eager for some action as the officer was. They were Gerard’s kits, after all, and they knew Nick well.

Mixtures of red and gray foxes, inked more in black than the primary colors of their parents. The Deacon todds were both equally blended to the darkness no matter the streaks of red and dark gray in their black furs. They flowed across the stage far better than Nick, who stood out with his solid russet and white tones.

As soon as his rhythm guitar was chosen, Nick waited for Wilson to clash on the high-toms before he began strumming along the instrumental lines of the song. Mark and Gerard Junior merged in with the electric and bass guitars seconds before Nick merged with the microphone stand, the drums kicking in before the lyrics, and the todd’s voice flowed in seamlessly.

The crowd’s attention was not on them until Mark slammed in as the lead with Nick following on the high-notes of the intro’s bridge. It calmed them down, though not catching everybody’s attention as the song lulled back into the monotone notes of the second verse.

Nick had their complete attention when he hit the second bridge. The sound of the electric behind him wailed as deep as he dug for the vocal tones in the next chorus, clenching his eyes shut as he felt tears welling up in them.

_“Heh-yuh!”_

The makeshift team grabbed another gear in the song with Nick’s belted prompt, locking down his discomfort with steel as the Mark’s electric tones bended his fur and screamed into the todd’s soul through the instrumental bridge, and the second chorus poured from his maw with an echo from the crowd. They were matching his tones and words line for line, some holding so much emotion that Nick almost whined at their own pain.

Most of the predators that frequented Mimi’s were considerably older than Nick himself. They had suffered their early adult lives under the restriction of TAME collars. When the todd opened his eyes, through the song, he could see the glints of light off raised shot glasses and mugs. He could see pale white flashes of bare skin on their necks as heads were bobbed up and down to the rhythm. He could hear some of the voices breaking as those preds were brought back to their tortured former lives. Nick was singing with a crowd of mammals whose pain he would never know… as long as he could prevent it happening again.

 _“Come on!”_ Nick bellowed at the crowd. He wanted to hear them.

Wilson’s toms eventually bled out and Junior took up with the bass through the fade as Nick and Mark took up the supporting pieces. The lyrics belted back at him grew louder all the while.

_“Caught under wheel's roll,_

_I take that leech, I'm bleeding me!_

_Can't stop to save my soooOOUL!_

_I take the leash that's leading me!”_

Wilson was the point instrument throughout the final chorus, hammering on the drums so hard that Nick could swear the other todd would break his sticks. There was such a strong desire to look back to see just how hard Wilson was trying to beat the drumset.

_“I'm bleeding me,_

_OHHHH! I can't take it, I can't TAKE IT,_

**_I CAN’T TAKE IT!_ **

_Oh-HOH! The bleeding of me!”_

With Nick’s final shout, _“Come on! Bleed me!”_ Mark struck with the electric, grinding and squeezing every single bit of power from his guitar into the speakers surrounding the stage. Nick could feel his body shuddering and gasping for air, paws shaking so hard as he barely kept up with the supporting notes, while the gray-accented todd power-stroked into the crescendo. Peaking. Falling a bit. Taking it down into his final piece before the drawdown.

Nick took over the slowed tone of the outro, reverting to the deeper monotone voice, from the beginning of the song, to end it just the same. The crowd joined him all the way through as they were brought closer to the edge of the stage. He hit the final high-notes as the guitars fell completely away from the area.

The sling from the guitar was immediate tossed over his ears before Nick whipped his head up at Mark. As soon as the guitar was set down on its stand, Nick took a long stride over to the eldest todd, grabbing his paw and rolling a wad of twenties into it while slapping Mark on the back with his left. Once they released, they ignored each other so that Nick could shake Wilson and Junior’s paws’, respectively. Nick didn’t even acknowledge the fact that the stillhouse patrons were clapping and hooting uproariously as he ducked behind the curtains of the stage and out the stage exit door. He could hear the instruments starting back up before the door fully closed.

_**Part-Two** _

The nighttime air was distinctly chilled as he rushed down the southern route of the ally. Nick’s body was shaking so hard that he could not still his paws even after shoving them in his utility pants pockets. Nick took off towards one of the bus stations, as if Major Friedkin herself had ordered him to double-time it, without even taking a moment to catch his breath.

The bus ended up taking him to the Riverside ZTA subway entrance. The todd kept to his shadows as he made his way unground to board the subway car, waiting as it began moving towards the west. The Inner Loop line would take him around nearly all of the districts just on the mainline. But, he would get off sooner than that first and take the eastbound back to the Acacia Street stop later.

Nick was patient as the subway curved around bends and made stops on its way north, into the Marshlands. There were subtle looks around the train-car to ensure that nobody was really paying attention to the exhausted todd. The overhead lights bathed every mammal riding within in a bluish-white light while the yellow lamplight from the outside flashed by every couple of seconds. When the subway came out from underground, Nick readied himself. The ride was short, just shy of twenty-minutes, and they were eventually at the Moss Street platform within the Ficus Grove subdistrict of the Marshlands.

The air was somewhat chilly beyond the lit platform as Nick made his way to the north, heading up a couple of blocks to find the shop that he had been planning to stop at. Nick ducked into the adjacent alleyway and pounded on the rear entrance door outside before waiting patiently. The intercom box next to him buzzed with the sound of a reply before a voice poured out.

“Order?”

“Wilde.” Nick replied, hitting the microphone button.

The sound of another buzz, from within the building this time, indicated that the door was unlocked. Nick stepped through and made sure that it was firmly shut and locked behind him. Neither Nick, nor the owners, expected anybody else to be in the area wanting to see them and it would take a breaching charge to remove the bolts from the hinges and surpass the locking mechanism.

Nick made his way into the front of the clothing store to take a look around the merchandise while he waited on Gregory Fedorov to meet him with what was already ordered. The store was run by the Fedorov couple; each specializing in male and female clothing lines for all mammals within Zootopia. The tundra wolf couple immigrated from Moscow, before the fall of the Soviet Union, to seek out a more unified location to sell their clothing in. They were one of the last mammals that were still around who had known John Wilde in the flesh. Mostly because the todd’s father had been a direct competitor in the southeastern portion of Zootopia. A friendly rivalry, though.

“Wilde!” Gregory shouted, causing the todd to jerk his head towards the manufacturing door of the establishment.

“How are you doing, Fedorov?” Nick called out.

“It’s late.” The larger white wolf groused.

“Not for the Nocturnal.” Nick replied, stepping over to the main counter.

“I didn’t believe it when I heard that you were ZPD. It’s good to see that you got your head screwed on straight.” Gregory said, noticing the gold badge that Nick had clipped to his belt. “I hear you are doing great work out there.”

“The Chief doesn’t exactly disagree, so that’s a happy meal for me.” Nick said, holding a total agreement in reserve.

“Well, that’s a good thing. But! Equally important, I have your requests here. All of the items are custom tailored, as you requested, and each example comes with all of the complementary pieces needed. Ties, headwear, etcetera.” The wolf smiled, pulling packages up onto the counter for the todd to consider. “Do you want to see them?”

“No. I trust that they are exactly as I requested them.” Nick declined, pulling out a roll of Zootopian currency and placing it down on the counter for Gregory.

Going through the bills, the wolf frowned a bit. “I heard that Vivian passed away through a colleague, Nick. Is it true?” He asked.

“Yes.” Nick said in a clipped tone while stacking the soft-wrapped packages accordingly. “Cancer took her late last week. If there are any bills due unto the Wilde Family, I ask that you tell me now. I’ll get them taken care of on my family’s behalf.”

Gregory frowned, doing the mental count on the cash that Nick had provided for him on the order. Their two families had been extremely close due, once upon a time. “Your family owes me nothing, Nicholas. Nothing that isn’t already included in this, as it is.” He said lowly.

Nick looked up at the wolf sharply, reading his father’s friend for any sign of a lie. “If that _ever_ changes… If the accounts don’t match up later. You contact me for a total, single payment. I will _not_ leave a debt unpaid.” The todd’s voice held an edge in it.

“You don’t owe me anything, Nicholas.” Gregory growled back. “And, I am so sorry to hear about your mother’s passing. What will you do?”

“I’ll rebuild.” Nick replied simply, folding the stack of packages under his left arm. “Thank you, Fedorov. You’ll see me again. And, good night.”

The two canines nodded at each other in kind before Nick made his way out the door he came through, listening to the buzzer as the door was remotely unlocked for him. He quietly made his way back to the subway and took it back down to the south.

There was a bit of levity on the todd as he made his way from the subway station back to the house. Nick could not help but smile as he snuck his way around the house until he reached the back door, carefully unlocking it with the key before sliding into the building. How as he supposed to fight the old ways that were ingrained within him? It was a right bit of fun to be sneaking around where he hadn’t needed to.

Once Nick was upstairs in his room, he stripped down the packages to their based forms so that he could review the contents. After that was done, Nick studiously put them all away in several locations around his room. There was nothing left to do after that, and it cause the todd to fall into his bed to seek the sleep that the mattress held.

**_Part-Three_ **

The following couple of days were not easy for the duo’s chemistry. Nick knew that there was nothing that he could do now about the line-of-thought that he had forced upon Judy, and the doe had subsequently kept quiet through the majority of the following weekend and well through the follow-up work-week. Nick gave the doe every bit of space through that week that he could.

A rumor had brought the todd to the Harbour Street ZTA station late on the evening of the 11th of December. When the extension-line train stopped at the station, Nick carefully leaned up against a pillar near the baggage claim so that he could clearly see all of the doors of the train itself. There was a scent on the wind and, in short order, Nick found his target nervously looking around the platform to figure out where they were going.

Nick took off to the exact claim when he heard the alert buzzers going off. His mark would be disoriented by all of their senses and that would buy the todd some crucial time. Near the initial release point, Nick stood and checked every single tag until he found the bags of his mark. There were no qualms about removing the bags from the conveyer system and taking them to a nearby, non-operated baggage turnstyle.

It was both boring and hilarious to watch his mark stand at the turns-style, watching as the same chosen purple bag went around three times without a single notation of their own bags’ rotation through. The mark clearly became frustrated as they threw their paws up into the air, looking around wildly for a baggage clerk. The two mammals met eyes for a split-second while Nick’s grin grew wider. His mark had no clue whatsoever: despite seeing their own bags momentarily.

Nick stood up between that and his mark’s dismayed conversation with a baggage claim attendant. When the two met eyes again, Nick grinned all the wider while Robby Hopps nearly blew his top in the middle of the concourse. The buck stomped over towards the unused baggage turn-style with a mission.

“You asshole!” Robby shouted, not even fifty-feet away.

Nick grinned a bit more while he waited for the buck to close three-quarters the distance before speaking.

“Didn’t your parents teach you watch out for sly foxes?” Nick countered finally, chuckling all the while.

“Fuck you!” Robby exclaimed, throwing a balled paw at the todd.

Nick bounced the thrown punch off of his flat paw before using his free palm to wallop the buck over the side of the head.

“Don’t me give that crap!” The todd retorted, throwing the buck’s bags at him. “I’m cute and fluffy!”

“Like a vacuumed warren fuzzball, you giant red ass-blister.” Robby said indignantly.

Nick’s barking laugh echoed across the concourse as he hooked the buck around the neck, dragging him away from the area with one of the bags in-paw.

“C’mon. The last thing we need is Transit Authority detaining us and forcing us to sit around until the ‘proper hour’ to call my boss at the ZPD.” Nick stated.

“You’re lucky I realized it was you!” Robby blustered, following the todd across the pedestrian paths to the parking lot.

“Puh-lease… You were clueless for nearly a half-hour.” The red fox needled.

Another laugh was loosed when one of Robby’s bags collided with Nick’s back. It was a short walk through the evening air, considering the lack of a breeze in the winter air while Nick followed his originally path in. After a moment, he spotted the truck and led Robby over to it. Fortunately, the bags were heavy enough to ride in the bed of the truck without fear of them falling out.

“How did you even know that I was here already?” Robby finally asked, buckling in.

“How did I know?” Nick countered loudly, laughing at the buck’s conundrum a bit. “I’m hooked into HWNN these days… Someone let it slip on a public post that you were headed this way as early as two-days ago.”

“Of course…” Robby muttered. “How did you get away without Judy knowing.”

Nick grinned a little at that, shooting the buck a side-eyed wink. “I’m a fox, after all.” He replied simplistically.

The truck roared to life at the flick of his key and Nick took off across the parking lot, heading for the Breezeway Apartment Complex. The streets were sparsely trafficked just before midnight and there were a pawful of mammals along the sidewalks: out to complete whatever tasks they had set forth for themselves.

“Didn’t get to see much on the ride in, did ya?” Nick inquired.

“Not much of anything except for the stops between Bunnyburrow station and here, no.” The buck replied, trying to take in as much as he could see through the gloom beyond his passenger window.

“Did you let Tracy know you were coming, or do we need to go see her?”

Robby looked over and shook his head. “We have to see her. I don’t have the key.” He replied.

“Cool!” Nick said with an even toothier smile. “You’ll love her.”

Nick rounded the last corner after waiting on the light to go green and drive the truck into the guest parking lot. They stepped out and Nick grabbed one of the buck’s bags, making sure to be careful incase there was something fragile within and the two males made their way inside. Nick guided Robby down the ground floor hallway until he came upon Tracy’s room.

“We won’t wake her up, will we?” Robby asked just before Nick knocked on the door.

“Nah. We just have to hope she’s not out partying.” Nick said loudly, projecting his voice at the door itself.

 _“I heard that, you russet-furred devil!”_ A shout came from within the room.

“I brought a new tenant with me and he needs a key.” Nick explained, grinning widely.

The door flew open and the pretty little squirrel looked up at the two males standing in the hallway. Nick smiled, more at the fact that Robby has suddenly become extremely nervous, and he waited.

“Hello, Miss Hudson. I’m Robby Hopps.” The buck said.

“And, aren’t you a handsome devil in and of your own right?” Tracy commented.

Nick swore that he heard Robby swallow his tongue at the forwardness of the diminutive squirrel and it brought a huge smile to his muzzle. The buck was going to have a lot of fun in the city once he learned the minds of the mammals within.

“I’m pretty sure she’s more of a pred than I am.” Nick whispered urgently, elbowing the buck.

“Shut up, Nicholas! Don’t scare him off.” Tracy admonished the todd before looking up at Robby. “Come on. Your room is right here. It is Nick’s old one.”

Tracy scurried between Nick’s legs and launched herself up at the lock on the door, setting the key and turning it before dropping to the floor. Nick turned and opened the door before withdrawing the key, letting his two friends step inside prior to following them in.

Nick set the bag that he was carrying down in his old room while listening to Tracy explain all of the rules and points of the apartment to Robby. It was quite amazing to see how little had changed within the apartment since he had been gone and, yet, how much of it had changed. The custom locks that he had installed were gone. The bedroom was immaculate and clean. The kitchen area was upgraded with new appliances and paint. It took nearly a half-hour for the buck to eek out all of the questions that he ended up having and for the paperwork to be signed.

After all was said and done, Tracy vaulted up onto Nick’s shoulder to give him a hug around his neck.

“It’s good to see you again, Nick. We’ll catch up later.” She spoke quietly.

“It’s good to see you, too, Miss Tracy.” Nick replied softly, watching as the doe took off for the door and headed back to her apartment.

The todd turned his sight to Robby, who was slowly looking around his new apartment with an innate interest. Nick walked up and clapped the buck on the shoulder with a firm paw to get his attention. It had been his Friday and despite the fact that midnight had already passed, Nick could get away with being out late.

“C’mon. I’m starving.” Nick said, conscience of the fact that the buck was as well.

Placing the key in Robby’s paw, Nick led the buck out of the apartment and back to his vehicle. As he drove by, Nick raised a paw to indicate the house that he was living in now and where the buck could find his sister at any reasonable hour inside of their standard dayshift timeslots. After that, it was a short drive to the corner of Acacia Street where he slipped the truck into a parking spot behind Kendra’s Coffee. Robby was silent upon their arrival, merely following Nick into the establishment. It really wasn’t all that far from his new residence within Zootopia and the fox led him in, to a booth inside. Nick regarded the buck closely once they had sat down: curious to know if there was any concern in Robby all the while.

“Was your girlfriend broken up about the move?” Nick finally asked.

Robby’s face looked as if he had just slipped on a patch of ice; Nick had taken him off his game again. Who better to do it than the best at playing the game, after all? The buck chuckled softly because he knew that, too.

“I don’t have a gal.” Robby explained.

“I would have figured otherwise, but alright. That makes things cleaner.” He replied, smiling a bit as Kendra walked over to the booth. “And, there’s the lady of the hour. How are you, Kendra?”

“Of course, it’s Nicholas Wilde. Where have you been?” The jaguar inquired.

“It’s been busy at work. But, I brought a new regular to make up for it.” The todd placated.

“I can see that.” Kendra said, looking the buck over. “And, he looks delicious.”

Now… That caused Robby to look as if he had cracked his head on the iced pavement. The only sound at the table was that of Nick’s breath being expelled as if a balloon was losing its air… just before the todd exploded with laughter. Nick flashed two fingers while he wrangled the amusement that had welled out of his body.

“Or… Maybe it’s just the females who are more predatory than I am.” Nick coughed out after Kendra had disappeared. He was fairly sure that Robby was about to flip him off. “Don’t worry. Her pendulum doesn’t swing that way. Kendra’s a good friend to have and a good friend of mine. She’s just fucking with you.”

A few minutes later, Kendra brought out two plates on a platter. Nick’s favorite breakfast platter and one of the same in vegetarian-style and a couple of beers. The todd dug straight into his plate while Robby was more conservative about his consumption pattern.

“You don’t drink.” The buck commented.

Nick shrugged a bit at that. _“Very rarely,_ I know how to celebrate. You’re walking into your new life and _that’s_ something to celebrate.” He explained, taking one long sip from his beer before placing it on the table and sliding it across to the buck. “And, you need a couple of beers.”

The todd stared Robby down while they both ate their meals. He knew the signs. Robby was trying to get a read on him, and it wasn’t going the way that would have benefitted the buck. Between every couple of bites, Nick noticed the buck take a drink until he was forced to exchange the empty glass bottle for the remaining full one.

“You’re not sleeping.” Robby said finally. “Are you?”

“It’s the weekend for me. Of course, I’m not sleeping.” Nick countered smoothly. “When do you start for the new firm?”

“I’m here ahead of my starting date. They know I’m heading back to the Burrow in a few days for Christmas. I start sometime in the second week of January unless I come back early.” Robby explained, forking a bit of side-salad into his muzzle.

“You’ll be doing the whole sightseeing bit before that, huh?”

“I guess. I’ll know more when the sun comes up, really. I’ll see the places that capture my attention and, yeah, I’ll seek them out.” The buck explained, catching a little in voice as he sought out the right words.

“You have an iCarrot, right?” Nick inquired.

“Of course. Nearly every Hopps does.” Robby said.

Nick grinned, giving a nod of acknowledgment as he withdrew his phone from his pocket, before firing off several different maps to Robby’s phone before shutting the system down again. He watched as Robby opened his messenger application and looked over each of the datafiles.

“And, you should be able to figure out your Zoogle Maps. The plain bus and ZTA route images work better than trying to dig them out within the maps app.” Nick explained, filling with humor again. “The PDF, though. That’s important.”

The lack of levity in the words that Nick spoke last brought the buck’s eyes up. The pieces of turkey bacon and chicken tasted amazing mixed with the eggs on Nick’s plate. And, the hash-browns? Bless Karma for them, with a little bit of ketchup and salt added on. The todd let his fork rest on the plate, politely, so that he converse with Robby properly.

“Why is that important?”

A sigh permeated the booth as Nick watched the dark tan buck closely. Emerald eyes were met with a depth of brown that Nick had only seen on some of the bayous, that he had fished, of the Canal District north of the Rainforest.

“It’s for emergencies. If something goes wrong – nearby to wherever you are at – you’re to go to one of these places as fast as you can and give the owner my name. You tell them that I sent you. They will know how to reach me.” Nick explained simply, still watching the for a response in the buck.

“I understand.”

The muscles around Nick’s heart constricted at the simplicity of the response from Robby. They both knew that Nick did not know _exactly_ what the issue was, but the lacking sense of urgency in the todd’s tone drove the point home swifter than any predatory growling or snarling would. It took all of Nick’s being to hold back the rising sense of fear in his mind while taking the fork into paw again. Robby trusted that whatever Nick was feeling in his gut was likely going to come to pass: no matter how vague the concept was to the red fox.

“If I came _here?”_ Robby finally asked, forcing down more of his beer while indicating to Kendra's shop with a paw.

“It's safe. You just come through the alleyway employee entrance and ask for Kendra specifically.” Nick replied simply. “This is one of the safe havens that I have established in that PDF file.”

_The Unknown._

The concept of what was unknown to Nick was what kept the further question off of Robby’s tongue. Nick could read ever curl, of every fold, on the face of the buck sitting across from him. The tightening of hickory buck’s body read the whole story. Now, he was concerned about his sister’s wellbeing – due to who she was gainfully employed by. But, there was nothing more to explain. Not yet. There was nothing else known and Robby was skillful enough to read Nick’s features, in kind. And, Nick hoped that he understood, Judy’s wellbeing was already well in-paw.

“There are _others_ who are here, Nick.” Robby explained shortly, not being able to help the fact that he looked around the diner nervously.

Nick got it. There were other Hopps’ family-members who were already within the city.

“Then, you pass them the PDF with the same instructions.”

Eventually, the two finished their semi-impromptu “lunch” and Nick unfolded several varying pieces of Zootopian denomination without taking flight from the booth itself. He knew that the jaguar would not question what was laid down even if she took approached the two before they had left the establishment.

“I will suggest that you hit the beach on the east side of Lion’s Bay. Even this late in the season, the place will be nice and warm for a swim. Sahara Square has all of the best beaches, but that place will give you a great location to view the Causeway from.” Nick eventually chuckled. “It makes me wish we were over in Haymarket. I’ve got a place that has the whole Zootopia map under a glass tabletop.”

“Is it a nice place?” Robby asked, looking down at the wooden top of the booth’s table.

“Yeah. I’ve taken Judy there once.” Nick said, a look of reminiscence plastering his face as he looked out the window. “Took her fishing back then.”

“Judy went _fishing?”_ Robby asked loudly.

“Well, I mean… I invited her! It was something that I used to do, and I had an itch to do it again!” The todd blurted out.

A rolling chuckle came out from the lips of the buck sitting across from Nick. Both from being somewhat non-believing, but also impressed at such an idea. Nick could not help releasing a nervous chuckle with Robby’s own laughter after a moment. There was no surprise from the buck, by the sound of things.

“You should have seen this bass that she caught. I swear to Karma.” Nick said happily, pulling out his phone to show Robby the pictures.

 _“Woah! Holy shit!”_ The buck exclaimed, taking the todd’s phone in-paw as he considered the fish that was over half his sister’s height overall. “What did she do with it?”

“Weeeeell…” Nick began. “She ended up selling it to a shop near that place that I mentioned, in Haymarket, and it went to feeding some of the local community.”

“You haven’t even told her how much that was worth, have you?” Robby whispered, becoming suspicious.

“There was a buyer.” Nick said, the undertones of a returned firing measure clear.

“You know who, though.”

“I do.” The comment came smoothly. “And, she doesn’t need to know about something that I have _never_ been able to change. Not every good deed has to be done with full knowledge. Now, come on! Let’s get you back to your new place.”

“I hope you get caught and get your ass whooped.”

Nick grinned a bit at the fuming nature of Robby Hopps. There was nothing malicious in the buck’s statement despite the awkward grin that he was depicting. The two mammals knew that Robby was one of the few that Nick trusted wholeheartedly in the current frame of time. Robby was a little frustrated, and rightfully so, but he was not – one bit – hoping that the todd would get caught reentering the residence down the street.

The drive back down to the house was shorter for the buck than the initial drive out. Nick pulled the truck up to the curb and threw the transmission in park before tossing the door opening. The red fox jumped down to the street and slammed the door shut before slinking underneath the frame to the passenger side of the Furd. When he popped out on the sideway, it nearly startled Robby because the buck was looking around the front and rear windows of the vehicle.

“Have it back by Monday morning, huh?” Nick grinned widely, knowing only his teeth would show aside from his eyes due to the darkness surrounding this particular portion of the Earth.

 _“What?!”_ Robby shouted through the passenger window.

With a shake of his head, Nick indicated that the buck should roll down the window.

“It’s got paw-levers on the steering wheel for throttle and brake controls. The mechanical controls are already set for it because I modified a wolf-sized vehicle to fit me. You’ll be fine.”

Robby spun around the cab of the vehicle before leaning out the window. The explanation apparently did nothing to calm the poor fella down.

“What if I wreck it? This isn’t like driving the Deere back home!” The buck said urgently.

Looking over the lightly lifted pickup, Nick smiled a bit. The honest to Karma’s truth? He had built the whole truck up from a scrapheap with the help of Finnick years before. There was a bit of sentimental value to the project, but the Furd wasn’t a “her” or a “him” as some vehicles were to some owners out there. The black paint was already scratched to Hell from its use as a proper utility vehicle. The truck was a tool. A means to an end.

“It’s just a truck, Robby. And, don’t worry,” Nick said, turning away with a wave and leaving the buck sputtering. “You’re on the insurance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions, concerns, comments, constructive review? They're all welcome.


	14. Lacrimosa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, kids. The stove's hot.

The weekend rolled past quickly.

Monday brought in a high-pressure front to clash with the permanent cold-front coming that poured off of the Climate Wall, according to the weather reports. Sheets of rain poured out of the broken cloud-cover as sunlight shined through on the Sahara Square earlier in the morning.

Judy was too busy listening to the rattling of metallic doors of the female lockers. It was not common for the doe to be distracted, but things tended to happen in the scheme of life. Her mind was a jumbled mess and there was no changing it: despite the ice-cold shower and billowing air within the changing area.

The bullpen was the same as it had ever been. The conversations held during the waiting period: all of the mammals greeting each other despite only having less than 12-hours of separation between one another. Bogo’s entrance being led by a table-pounding group of subordinates. The buffalo had shouted down the noise, as usual, before doling out the day’s tasking orders and patrol routes.

She had led them through the day as a good senior officer once the two had began playing in their sector. It was just as boring lead into the week as it had been the entirety of the previous week. Eventually, the duo stripped off their gear as they got back into their SUV. The humidity had left them both with a sheen of sweat due to the heat generated in their water-proof patrol jackets.

“So,”

The doe’s conversation began easily enough. Though, probably seemed sharp to Nick regardless of the fact.

“Robby texted me this morning. He said he got into town and got moved in.” Judy said, trying to sound random about it after the two had wrapped up a routine traffic stop. The tiger had not been happy with Nick’s assessment of a red light decision. “Do you know anything about that?”

Judy saw Nick smiling out of the corner of her eye, from the passenger seat, as he watched the mammals as who were walking by on the sidewalk. The truth was that she hadn’t spoken three-dozen words to him in the last week-and-a-half. Judy had been spending all her time thinking about what the todd had said to her: the desire that Nick had expressed to make sure that she was alright.

“Yeah… I picked him up late Friday night and lent him the truck. Had to keep Tracy and Kendra from jumping him. But, he might have dinged a trash can…” Nick laughed.

“Seriously?” The doe asked.

“Well, yeah.” Nick continued simply.

A drink of water was taken out of his bottle, which had been in the cupholder, before there was any continuance.

“You were already asleep. The Warren Intelligence Agency tipped me off. Robby tried to cold-clock a law enforcement officer. Tracy was staring at his fuzzy tail. Robby’s stomach made it sound like he was going to eat my dashboard. So, I took him out to Kendra’s.” He explained with amusement before raising his pitch. “For a _boy’s night!_ Yay!”

Both of their ears perked up at the sound of Judy’s giggling. Neither of them had expected the titter to slip through her lips.

“You didn’t have to hit him, did you?” Judy asked, rolling her eyes.

Nick adopted a more official, announcer-stylized martial artist voice this time around. “His bun-fu held no power against the likes of his mortal enemy.”

His response only resulted in a scoff from Judy. The doe was busy looking around the intersection to ensure that her left-pawed turn was clear of sudden, illegal traffic and any jaywalkers. Nick had continued to watch the outer, passenger-side to make sure that they weren’t intercepted as they drove through: while Judy watched the inside of the arc of the turn. Once the intersection was clear and, having only drawn a couple of pairs of eyes on her side, Judy heard the todd clear his throat a bit.

“We’re heading back to the warren on Friday, right. Have you decided if you want me to drive us out there?” Nick finally asked, his voice unsure in the continued desire.

“You’re serious about driving that far?” The doe glanced over quickly.

“Well, yeah…” The todd said, trying to keep a straight face. “I was going to make you drive so that I could get my beauty sleep, anyway.”

“You’re terrible.” Judy fired back.

“I’m joking, dumb bunny. Of course, I’ll be driving after the shift.” Nick said with a happy nod of the head. “I wouldn’t miss that opportunity for anything other than a specific request of yours. So, it’s still up to you on if we do it at all.”

“What about Robby?” Judy asked, waving a paw at the fox so that he could elaborate on the issue. Apparently, he had all of the answers.

“I heard that he was headed out Wednesday night. Maybe Thursday morning, at the latest.” He explained. “Unless one of us is lucky enough to tranq some poor runner, we’re not getting out any earlier than end-of-shift.”

“We’re not tranq’ing anybody, Nick.” Judy replied firmly.

“What about Weaselton? Hell, he’s older than me. You’d have figured that, after two-years of coming up snake-eyes with fleeing, he’d just give up on demand.” The todd chuckled lowly.

Judy laughed outright at that. “That would go over well with Internal Affairs,” She said, putting on her best impressions of Nick and the department head. “The Department Chief would ask: _‘Why did you decide to tranquilize Mister Weaselton, Officer Wilde?’_ To which, you would reply: _'This was the three-hundredth time we encountered Mister Weaselton, this year alone, and I didn’t want to chase him today’.”_

“See? You’ve got it! Minus my effects and all, but yeah.” Nick nodded sagely. “Plus, anyway. I’d go home and chase myself around if I wanted someone to play ‘hard to get’ with.”

 _“Blessed Serendipity…”_ Judy muttered, wiping a paw down her face as her ears heated up. “We’re not tranq’ing anybody unless they’re a threat, Slick.”

“You’re no fun.” Nick replied in mock despondence. “Now, I’ve got to figure out how to make realistic donuts that safely explode with confetti at the front desk…”

“Fine! You can drive out to the warren! But, you leave Clawhauser’s donuts out of it.” The doe ordered with another laugh.

Judy drove the SUV out to the southern curve of Sandy Ridge, aiming it to the east so that they could catch any potential speedsters or drifters coming through the wide hairpin, before calling it Clawhauser that they were holding position at that location. If the area had been rural, they would have been on the edge of the next municipality compared to the one north of them – considering that the road turned back on itself due to Polar Strait inlet to the east and the Sandy Cove to the south. There were two roads, one on the inside of the main street and one on shoreside, that mammals could use to avoid law enforcement, but they were longer and slower routes through cul-de-sacs.

“Do you really think it was Clawhauser that got Wolford?” She asked Nick.

Nick only opened his maw to laugh at the reminder of the prank on his friend. There was no mistaking the fact that Nick knew more than he would tell now. And, that pretty much confirmed the whole thing in the doe’s mind.

 _Nick’s little inadvertent protégé is already growing up so fast,_ Judy internally groaned.

“Let’s just say that I’m pretty sure.” Nick said humorously, leaving the whole issue open-ended.

The extreme boredom of patrol over the past two-weeks caused Judy not to look around when the todd grabbed the binoculars off of the dashboard in front of him. That would have been unusual in any other circumstance. She could hear the sound of Nick unbuckling his seatbelt and spinning around on the cloth interior.

“Judy!” Nick said suddenly. “We’ve got an antelope at our six with a knife! Middle of the parkway!”

“What?” Judy jumped to look around.

“He’s got red all over his forearms and torso!”

Halting the desire to get eyes-on the suspect, Judy threw the sport-utility vehicle into drive and floored it out of their sandy parking spot. Nick slammed on the button for the lights and sirens before snatching up the transmitter. The doe heard the todd growl, as he was thrown into the door, while she went through the motions of the jarring U-turn.

“Dispatch, this is Unit-Three! We have a Ten-Thirty-Three-Alpha in the middle of the east-bound Sandy Ridge Parkway! East-side of the Shady Cove Court intersection!” Nick reported. “Suspect possibly covered in blood! Requesting all available units to our location, over!”

 _“Roger that, Unit-Three,”_ Clawhauser came back over the radio calmly. _“All available units, converge at Sandy Ridge Parkway and east of Shady Cove immediately.”_

There were multiple confirmations coming over the radio that Judy simply ignored. The throttling-through of the gears was ended seconds later as the tires screeched to a halt on the blacktop. The oncoming traffic had already stopped, with some of the drivers trying to back out of the situation that they had found themselves in, as the doors of the patrol vehicle were thrown open. Others had abandoned their vehicles altogether and were running in the opposite direction. There was no mistaking the sound of Nick drawing his Glock from its Kydex, as opposed to one of the less-lethal options.

“Drop the knife and get on the ground!” Nick yelled at the Gemsbok suspect.

“Ahh… Another fucking pelt!” The Gemsbok said happily.

Time does not slow down in high-stress situations. The minute details that set off warning bells hit hard and fast. The resulting emotional feelings either cause a mental lock-up or an overzealous response: if the mammal in question doesn’t have their training ingrained in their being. The sight of semi-congealed blood dripping off of the suspect like syrup hit Judy at nearly the same time the scent had to have struck Nick. On instinct, Judy’s supporting paw jacked the energy-output of her taser to its maximum. There was no helping the rise of anger in the tone that poured out of Nick’s next bellow. The smell of blood permeated the whole area as they closed the gap to the suspect.

_“Drop that fuckin’ knife!”_

Judy heard the sirens from the west-end of the parkway before she saw a second patrol unit screaming up on the westbound portion of the road. The unit eventually jumped the curb and over the mediated separation of the parkway itself, throwing grass and sand up as it came to a stop. Grizzoli and Delgato had arrived and a relay of that fact went out over the communications link.

The suspect’s forearm snapped out, tossing the kitchen knife away to the opposite side of the road before the buck got down on his knees, with his forearms raised. His ears flipped back to the sound of Delgato yelling at him not to move.

 _“Del!_ Hook him!” Grizzoli shouted, side-stepping around and towards the knife while keeping his partner covered. The lion holstered his sidearm and withdrew pawcuffs from the back of his utility belt.

All three of his supporting officers kept their weapons trained on the suspected until he was face-planted on the blacktop and cuffed. The blood ended up smeared across Delgato’s forepaws as he detained the Gemsbok. Judy would never forget the sound of that bloody _schlick._ Nick spun on his heel immediately, keying the handset of his personal radio-set as he headed south.

“Dispatch, Unit-Seven has the suspect in custody. Unit-Three is pushing southbound, on-paw, to look for the Ten-Fourteens.” Nick shouted. His heart-rate was dangerously high, according to the doe’s hearing. How she managed to pick it up over all of the other sounds, she did not know. “Three is requesting additional supervisors, EMS, and a Bus.”

The only reason that a ZPD Bus would be called to a location was because there were multiple deceased. Emergency Services was called for wounded.

“Wilde! Multiple victims!” Grizzoli bellowed, drowning out Clawhauser’s response.

 _“I know! I know!”_ Nick screamed back at the wolf urgently. They could both smell something that the doe could not.

Judy spun and ran over to the rear of their patrol vehicle, popping the hatch and grabbing the emergency medical kit from the trunk. With a quick glance, she ran a path to the original blood trail, that Nick had spotted on the roadway, snapping along the path as she watched Nick duck into an open residential doorway. Something in Judy’s mind couldn’t exactly fault the todd for going in without immediate backup on his tail. When she got to the door, Judy saw his form ducking into an upstairs hallway.

A moment later, the radio crackled to life as she was about to start clearing the downstairs’ rooms.

 _“This is Three-Whiskey,”_ The radio squelched a bit due to her proximity to Nick.

Judy ended up throwing herself into the wall in an effort to rush upstairs. The todd was fast, and it was entirely possible that he had cleared the ground floor before she had made it to the residence. It was a stupid assumption, but the tone of his voice was just too much. More sirens were approaching the original location from afar. Judy ducked down the opposite hall than where Nick had gone to clear the rooms.

_“Supervisors needed at Three-Two-Five Shady Cove Court. We have an EMS Priority-Five at this location with multiple Ten-Eighteens,”_

Judy cleared the rooms as thoroughly as she could and ran down the hallway, trying to follow Nick’s scent through the thick scent of gore within the building. She reached the room just as he relayed the last of his information.

“Recommend another Bus be dispatched to this location, over…” He finished softly.

Judy had found Nick to be staring into the scene of a slaughterhouse and felt his paw on her shoulder when she tried to dive in and help the victims. Anything about the scene could have been what caused Nick to hold her back. The sheer amount of blood on the wooden floor was the biggest clue. Some of the puddles, from each victim, had congealed before reaching the pool of the nearest neighboring victims. The slip of his paw from her shoulder, and a thump, brought her disbelieving eyes over to the todd while he was assessing the crime scene. He had smacked a weak paw against the doorframe to keep himself upright.

Spread across the second-story room, faced towards the falling sun beyond the window outside, were six red fox kits of various ages and – what Judy assumed – was their vixen mother. Their varying orange fur-tones were sharply muted by the arterial blood that had been released through the gashes along their throats. The youngest of the kits looked as if they had nearly been decapitated by the level of violence. There was _so much_ blood near their bodies that it was nearly unbelievable that a body could _hold_ that much. Judy quickly grabbed Nick’s head to shield him as she tried to stymie the flashes of the victim’s faces from passing behind her own closed eyelids. Their wide-open, fear-filled eyes and silent-screaming muzzles still exploded in her mind, nonetheless.

There was nothing to stop the piercing iron-smell that permeated every square inch of the second story of the building.

After the fact, there was no telling what it exactly was that kept the doe’s body moving in-time with standard police procedure. Grizzoli had to guide Nick out of the building forcefully. Judy was on complete autopilot after the white wolf had assisted her partner. A cordon line was put up by her own paw and foot-traffic was directed until the detective returned to relieve her. There were police units from as far out as Central Tundratown and as close as the Sahara Square district that had been sent out for backup purposes. The street, down to the main intersection, had more law enforcement on it than residents. And, Delgato was watching over Nick at one of the nearby ambulances. The todd had his face in his paws as he sat on the end of the rear-step on the bumper.

Chief Bogo had arrived with Lieutenant Waldron at some point during her work. Several other members of Precinct-1 swooped in, to cover for the duo, while Corporal Judy Hopps made her way over to her immediate site commanders for an explanation.

It wasn’t the first time in since the duo’s initial partnership that they had seen such a gruesome crime scene. It was absolutely the _most_ gruesome that they had seen, though. Only made worse by the fact that it, right from the word “go”, looked like a hate crime. The specificity of the victims’ species… The comment that the Gemsbok made when the duo approached him… The cover of the story read simply enough, and Judy was sticking to the theory.

Bogo had to grasp her shoulder firmly to keep her mind on the walkthrough of the timeline when they all heard Nick lose his stomach contents nearby. The physical response from the todd almost caused the doe to puke in front of her superiors.

More often than not, Judy was the only prey officer to be paired with a predator and she was the _only_ one to be permanently assigned to a predator by request. Predators were accused of being fearsome villains in all of the stories and comments that the doe had ever heard in her lifetime… but, to see such a violent act draw such distraught sadness from a predator? It was also a fear. And, _that fear_ scared the diminutive prey mammal worse than anything that she had seen on The Force, thus far. Days like today continued to hammer it home for Judy Hopps. The whole of Precinct-1, who were at the scene, were both saddened and angered. _But,_ the looks on the predator faces were in another league of their own. They were all looking at this crime the same way that she was.

The Chief eventually ushered the duo off the scene. They were ordered away from the location, while the Gemsbok suspect was placed in Lieutenant Waldron’s patrol car. Bogo led the convoy back to Precinct-1 while Judy followed up at the rear. Both of the small mammals were watching the suspect’s form through Waldron’s back glass just as intimately as they watched the traffic.

Judy knew that if the Gemsbok somehow made it out of the vehicle that Nick would shoot him.

Fortunately, no escape attempt was made.

The lobby of Precinct-1 was a-buzz with activity when all of the primary parties stepped out of the main garage elevator. Lieutenant Waldron passed the suspect off to two large patrol-mammals, Officers Wilcox and Aldrin, before taking off to her wing of the building. Judy watched as the Chief went straight up to his office. The distraction of waiting for further orders from her superior had let Nick slip down the hall to their shared cubicle. By the time Judy had caught up with Nick, he was already settled into his chair and beginning work on the required paperwork for the case reports.

Judy could not remember the last time that Nick was able go through all of the procedural motions for a case report so cleanly. As the supporting and secondary party to the whole event, Judy was off her mental-game. The whole report, that the doe was going to end up writing, was going to be an extremely simplistic After-Action Report. Incidents of violence were always led by Nicholas Wilde: due to his training with the SWAT teams and, more specifically, the wolves.

Tracking.

Mental Situation Analytics.

Subsequential Threat Assessments.

Those were aspects of the training for mammals with an elevated olfactory sense and the regimen was in that very order. There was no helping that she felt a little warmer at the fact that Nick seemed engulfed in anger as opposed to being distressed presently. The todd’s tail was extremely fluffed-out and thrashing low, behind his seated hips. An hour later, their reports were complete, and the duo headed upstairs to the Chief’s office.

“Enter!” Bogo shouted at Judy’s knocking.

Judy led Nick inside and he shut the door behind them before they made their way over to the large chair in front of the Chief’s desk. The doe placed the folder on their end of the desk before sitting down properly.

“Hopps. Wilde…” Bogo greeted them heavily. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you both did a good job with that capture today. Who knows how many more he could have killed if it hadn’t been for you two.”

The buffalo took up the folder from his desk and opened it before putting on his reading glasses. It did not take long for the Chief to finish going over Nick’s initial report. Judy’s was shorter and simpler than the todd’s. It did not matter because the events corresponded with the timeline. That is what the investigators would need, and it was not going to be led by her.

“I’m putting Grizzoli on point for this one. It already looks cut-and-dry and I anticipate that any interviews, if they become necessary, will come after the holidays at this point.” The Chief explained as his eyes roamed over his officers. “Is that going to be a problem, Wilde?”

“Nothing that’s going to get solved by cussing and breaking shit, Sir.” Nick replied darkly.

“What about you, Hopps?” The buffalo’s eyes narrowed back on her.

“No, Sir!” She replied immediately.

Bogo nodded once. “Good. I’ll talk with Waldron and see if she wants any recordings of your perspectives at some point. That update will come tomorrow.” The explanation came firmly. “Finish up your other reports and get out of here!”

Nick hopped down from the seat immediately and headed for the door while Judy followed him out. The door was held open so that she could exit first. Both Judy and Bogo noticed when he looked back at the desk in the center of the room.

“Just need one thing.” Nick said quietly.

“What?”

“Make sure Grizzoli and the prosecutors bury that piece-of-shit, Chief.” The todd said firmly.

“I’m going to _personally_ see to that, Wilde.” Bogo replied. “Go.”

The duo left the Chief’s office with a _snap_ of the door closing behind them. They proceeded back down the stairs and to their cubicle so that the rest of the day’s events could be typed-up and logged. Judy promptly sat down and watched as Nick ran his paws over his head as he waited for the desktop to boot up. The chair was spun around as soon as he noticed the restart was completed. Her own chair turned away a lot slower than the todd’s.

First thing was first. Judy’s paw reached up and found her EagleEye body camera so that she could remove it from the front of her vest. The ZPD had not been able to financially support an update to the WiFi syncing system for their video auditing program. The mechanics would remotely upload all video taken from the dashcams on the cruisers, but the EagleEye footage had to be uploaded by each officer at the end-of-shift so that the supervisors could comb through them for violations. The files were coded so that nobody could edit or delete the footage at the patrol level. Attempts to do so were recorded in the code, as well. Not that the latter-of-the-two options would have mattered in the event that the coding had been discretely altered. Any shift upload that was missed would raise immediate red-flags.

Judy removed the USB storage and plugged it into the tower of the desktop so that the software could immediately begin downloading everything. Once the file had been loaded into the video manager software, Judy began to tag specific sections for notation and review upstream. She listed the entirety of the Gemsbok incident as priority before hitting a dropdown to reference each with their specific case file numbers: two traffic stops and the final incident.

Once that was complete, the remaining two reports were short-lived. Even though Judy knew that neither of them could really focus back on a speeding ticket and a red-light violation mentally; both traffic stops would be clarified by the accompanying strips of footage. Nobody in the department was going to fault them for being distracted and forgetful on the more trivial of public interactions: assuming that those interactions were above-board in regard to the conveyed professionalism.

The printer went _whirred_ to life in the center of the large U-shaped desk, behind the doe. Nick was already finished and printing out his side of the reports. Judy turned, waiting for it to cycle into the second report while noticing that the todd was uploading the digital copies to the Precinct’s Cloud server. She did the same and queued up her own for printing. Digital signatures were applied, and the upload lasted a split-second, and while Nick was signing his paper copies Judy waited for her own copies to print. The todd shut down his desktop while he waited for her.

The lobby was empty - with the exception of Clawhauser’s form sitting behind his desk. Nick had taken Judy’s reports and organized them by the file number before slipping them into a folder, and he subsequently laid the folder in a tray for Clawhauser to collect. The rotund cheetah gave them a sad wave while he was working with dispatching ZFD assets to a fire in Tundratown. As Nick was walking out of the building, Judy noticed that a sticky note had been left on the folder for the cheetah. No doubt, it would explain that the _third_ report was firmly in Bogo’s hooves.

No time had been wasted in the parking lot considering that the Furd’s engine was started up while Judy was hustling across the lot to get to her ride. She could see that Nick was shutting the radio off and had tossed his phone up onto the dash. A calm blanket was laid over his outward perception, but the fact of the matter was that the todd was furious. Very few would have ever even seen that truth. Judy was immensely grateful that she was one of those few who was allowed. As soon as the todd heard the passenger seatbelt finally buckle, he sped off across of the lot.

Judy was happy to see that no traffic laws were broken while Nick was moving through the streets: despite being a little lead-pawed and heavy swung through the corners. The throaty roar of the motor warded the pedestrians away from the edges of the intersections’ curbs. When they reached the driveway, Nick slid the truck in against the concrete drive rather forcefully: contrasted by the gentleness that he switched the vehicle into park and shut it off.

The only sound to be had after making it inside was the sound of ripped Velcro from their respective pieces of soft armor. The doe dutifully put her gear away as Nick dropped his on the couch: vest, belt, and patrol cap. He would pick them up, but right now. He did not give a shit and that feeling carried with the todd all the way into the kitchen. Tossing his wallet down on the island counter as he went by. She watched as he made it as far as the sink before planting his paws wide at the edge of the counter, leaning over it as his frame deflated from the strain of the day. His ears were pinned back to their fullest extent, but she knew that he heard every pawfall on the floor.

“Sorry, Carrots,” Nick said heavily. “I’m not going to be good for dinner tonight. I’ll order something – in a bit – if you want.”

“I can’t eat after that, Nick.” She responded tentatively, feeling the emotions welling up in her chest at the mere movement of her lips. The formation of words, on the doe’s lips, betrayed ever duty and desire to remain calm.

“I can’t say I feel any different.” He said, drawing a shaking paw up over his head. She could hear the sound of claws been run roughly over his skin, between all his fur.

Judy understood that entirely and waited long enough to see Nick turn around. She had to have looked just as bad as he was looking to her. Tired, distraught… even aged a bit by the whole ordeal. The todd looked like he was about to start sprouting gray furs at any moment. The doe, herself, found it fortunate that any silver furs would be hidden amongst the predominate palate of gray that served as the baseline for her fur. Nick did not have that kind of luxury.

“I need a shower.” The todd said with a resounding level of finality.

She watched as Nick took off for the shower just across and down from the kitchen, peeling his department-issue undershirt away as he walked off. The doe had never seen him use that shower before. It felt as if he was drifting further and further away from her, by the day. That consideration brought her paws to a quick pace, rushing upstairs and into her own shower with an urgency. Judy could feel the emotions welling up within her.

When Judy was done, she took her time with collecting herself, dressing in a T-shirt and shorts slowly before heading to the stairwell. The wait at the base of stairs was something that she had anticipated. Nick’s shower was off, but the Nick’s drying-off was still in full swing. The fur-dryer wasn’t on, but she knew that he was still brushing his coat down. Her hindpaws brought her over to the door measuredly in the hopes that she wouldn’t arrive too early to meet his exit from the bathroom.

Judy’s breath caught in her throat when the door opened.

The todd looked wet overall. As if he had washed his boxers and undershirt in the shower, and then attempted to dry them after the fact. She had to have looked as emotionally drained as Nick: just by the lack of care for decorum that he currently had.

“I…” Judy said quietly.

“He’ll get his, Fluff.” Nick replied, stepping a little closer. “Prison is not kind to those that harm kits. No matter their species.”

Judy felt her paws ball into little fuzzy fists as the tears overtook her eyes. She had not felt this angry about something it a long time. The cumulation of sorrow hit her soul when Nick dove in to wrap her in his arms.

“It’s not right!” She cried out, hugging him in a tight return.

“No…” Nick whispered. “It’s not right.”

Effortlessly, Nick hooked his forearm under her bottom and picked her up. It caused her legs to wrap around his back instinctually while the todd carried her upstairs. Her sharp ears heard Nick’s hindpaw bump a door open carefully. The tears fell more urgently as she clutched his shirt. It could have been the last lifeline on the planet at this point. The paw behind her head moved down to help him carry her up into his bed before he laid his head down on the pillow. The same paw instinctually began brushing over her ears and down to her back slowly as he whispered comfortingly.

“We got him, sweetheart.” He explained softly. “He’ll never harm another innocent soul. There’s no way he’ll walk away from a conviction.”

The feeling of being held close was so comforting to Judy. It slowed her heartbeat down and the warmth fought against the shaking that wasn’t caused by being cold. At this point, her partner only sounded tired of the whole ordeal. It still stumped the doe at the lack of surprise Nick had with the degrees of prejudice and bigotry against his species. Even Nick’s anger about the murders only burned like dying embers in a fire. He had probably seen it all with the day’s event.

The todd released her and she watched as he rolled on his back, leaning up to hook his thumbs on the back of his collar before roughly dragging the shirt off of his torso. It was flung off the end of the bed before Nick curled back up around her.

“How do you know?” She felt herself ask with a huff.

“The _‘what-ifs’,_ Fluff. All the other collars – in the prison – will wonder what it would be like if that buck’s hatred had been directed at _their_ species. Even some of the prey in there. He won’t be made into a _‘toy’_. He’ll be _‘the example.’”_ Nick emphasized neutrally.

“That’s how you feel?” She asked tentatively.

Nick shook his head, making sure to keep his chin off of her head as he did so. She watched as he stared at the window across the other side of the room: it made her wish that he had a better view out of it, instead of looking towards the house next door.

“That’s what I know will happen.” His voice was clipped and firm. “I hope that it isn’t quick for him.”

Before they had known each other as well as they did now, the doe would have been surprised.

 _If not appalled,_ Honesty spoke up.

It had taken all that she had seen in Zootopia to understand that some species got the short-end of the stick, by default. Historic tendencies diminished the acts of the current day for many small predators and nearly all of the rodent species. There was not a pred-exclusivity to it. And, nobody really bothered with bringing up the efficiency of the large-class predator species’ killing abilities. Lions. Tigers. Wolves. When historic central religion gained serious traction, those species were quick to paint themselves in a holy light and that had stuck for centuries. But, not the sweetness or definity of Karma for foxes. And, just as Judy was about to speak, Nick cut her off.

“I don’t want you to understand that, Judy. I don’t want you to be OK with that mentality,” He growled. _“I don’t want you to agree with me on that.”_

“Why?” She squeaked.

“Because you’re _not_ like me. You’re _not supposed_ to be like me. That’s why you asked me to be your partner.” He said easily. “You needed the contrast that I offer.”

“That mother, Nick!” Judy moaned, feeling the next wave of sadness wash over her mind. “ _Those poor kits!”_

“I know, sweetheart!” Nick replied, his body quaking with each nod of his head as his voice cracked like a fault-line. “I know!”

The totality of the event overtook the doe. She broke down in the todd’s grasp. Judy felt his lips press urgently against her forehead and heard every catch of his breath in the process. There was no shoring up against the vocal cries that she let out into his fur, nor against the shaking of her frame against his. The todd could not help balling-up around her body as his whispered comforts were drowned out by her own cries of pain.

Sleep did not come easy for either of them. But, it was peaceful in each others' paws.

~~~~~~~~~

The environment of the bullpen was somber the following morning. The officers, who had not been to the crime scene, were shooting sidelong glances at those that had been. A lot of glances were directed at the serious faces of the rabbit doe and todd fox. Grizzoli and Delgato were notably absent. And, there was no uproarious behavior leading up to the Chief’s entry into the bullpen. The giant water buffalo clearly had not slept at all and the state of his uniform suggested that he had not even left the Precinct. Judy felt both of their bodies deflate a little tension. It was a promising sight to see that their superior was giving it his all.

Assignments were doled out accordingly and the duo was left for last; with Judy noticing that Wolford’s section gave them concerned looks as they went by.

“You two have Plaza patrol today. Your cruiser’s dashcam footage is still being processed and I’ve taken the liberty to have the mechanics work on it while that’s being done. I want to see you both in my office at noon. Dismissed.” Bogo said tiredly.

“Yes, Sir!” Judy responded quickly.

“We’ve got it, Chief.” Nick agreed resolutely.

She hopped down off of the chair before Nick and the two made for the lobby. It surprised the doe when Nick made a beeline for the front desk to speak to Clawhauser, so she waited near the main doors for him to catch up. When he returned, Nick had one of the new belt-mounted ticket machines on his frame and one of the ZPD’s smartphones in paw. Nick held the door open for her before following her out into the sunshine.

Judy kind of just followed Nick out through the parking lot. He knew how to keep himself distracted in times like this and that would be the best thing to follow on. Plaza Patrol was the kind of job that was somewhat nonspecific in rules. They wouldn’t get in trouble for issuing parking tickets or simply sitting on a nearby bench to watch for suspicious activity. So, they walked. Counterclockwise around the outer sidewalk of First Street so that the todd could find any vehicles that had a parking violation.

Unlike her usual routine for parking duty, Nick had an extremely specific set of rules that he followed for parking violators and that rule would work really well for the Plaza. It would take about an hour to make it all the way around considering there was always conversation to be had or tickets to write. His rule was simply. If the vehicle owner wasn’t violating the meter by more than an hour, then they’d get a pass until he found their car again on the next pass. Handicap mammals got a pass completely. And, to him, that was fair to each mammal’s specific issues.

“It would have been better if Bogo had put us on rolling parking duty.” Nick muttered, typing out the first ticket on the smartphone. “This just makes it feel like we’re on display.”

Judy nodded sadly, trying to keep a face of neutrality on despite the understanding. They had to have made the news last night. Smartphone footage of the parkway encounter was likely all over the web now. There was not a single mammal – who passed them – who did not know what they had just been through thanks to the local news networks. Whatever information that was gleaned from the investigation was aired on television already.

Deciding to ignore the looks from the locals, the doe smiled softly. “Well, between you breaking the frame of the Meter Maid Mobile and my overzealousness of ticketing, they’re probably not going to reinstitute parking duty.” She admitted.

“Officer Hopps…” Nick smiled just a little. “Are you implying that I’m fat?”

“And, that you have a temper.” She huffed out an amused snort. “It wouldn’t have broken if you hadn’t thrown your big butt into the seat that day.”

“Yeah…” He finally admitted, turning to continue their patrol down the sidewalk. A second later, he was chuckling. “I was pretty upset.”

The morning was spent making the rounds. Eventually, Nick got tired of levying fines against delinquently parked vehicles and the duo took a leisurely stroll through the park. Pre-teen kits would sometimes shout urgently before kicking a soccer ball or throwing a football at Nick: and, Judy watched as a soft, genuine smile crease his muzzle as he returned the ball. They would whoop happily and run off, bragging about how the first fox police officer to the ZPD was messing around.

Judy made sure to watch over Nick as he laughed, jogging out to get into the middle of a soccer game. The entertained look on his face melted the doe’s heart as she continued to look over the crowd of surrounding parents. Fortune favored both sides of comfort and _not-so-much,_ as they looked on. The fortunate side of things were that the parents did not seem concerned with the fact that it was a _fox_ that was playing with their kits. Every now and again, Judy would check her watch to ensure that they weren’t late for their meeting, though time melted away quickly. Judy gave a loud whistle while Nick was across the pitch. There was a jerk of his head, to look back at her, before he lobbed a curving black-and-white ball into the net downrange. It brought a chorus of groans and joyful laughter from each youth team as the todd raised his paws up over his head before being swamped with several kits from nearby. Nick laughed joyfully as he rubbed several of their heads for their help in his shot while saying his goodbyes.

The doe looked on with a happy smile, positively overwhelmed with adoration for her partner, even as Nick approached. He could see everything written on her face, without a doubt. It only made his smile grow wider, though sheepish. It was at that moment that she understood the entire mindset of her motherly-bound sisters. It must have taken an amazing male in their lives to want to go out and conceive kits at such a moment’s notice. And, now, Judith Laverne Hopps knew that feeling intimately.

The way the todd played with the kits… The way he was consumed with their safety. How concerned he was for her own well-being. The entire focus on others over his own well-being… Those half-lidded eyes and that stupid, distracting smile: which erred more on the side of curiosity than arrogance in that very moment.

It all made Judy bloom with a longing blush.

“Sorry, Fluff.” He said after jogging over. “Those ruffians challenged me, so I had to gently whoop their tails.”

“Whatever you say, Slick.” She grinned softly, looking down at her hindpaws as they led them away.

The feeling dissipated as the walk towards Bogo’s office wore on. The lobby door was opened. The stairs were reached. She swore that neither of them even looked at Clawhauser on their way by. They were too busy readying themselves. It was the worst that she had ever felt on the way to answer the Chief’s earlier call and it made no sense because they had done nothing wrong in the arrest of the Gemsbok. There wasn’t going to be a single, neutral civilian that would dare to have faulted Nick for his blatant language during the initial corralling of the suspect.

 _For Serendipity’s sake, we weren’t even the arresting officers,_ Judy thought wildly.

“You have to calm down, Fluff,” Nick whispered, ears back as he was visibly blushed in embarrassment. “You’re freaking the rest of them out.”

Judy’s head snapped up to the todd as they reached the top of the stairwell, watching as his own muscles were trying to find a new spot to set the fox, before looking around the lower lobby. There was no “up-wind” in the middle of the Precinct for him. Clawhauser was laid out over his lower desk, ears pinned back while his arms were thrown over his adorned headset. Wolford, who for some reason was in the middle of Precinct-1 in the middle of the day, had his ears pinned even further back as he tried to dutifully walk across the atrium.

“I—” She began urgently.

“You don’t have to say anything. Just take a sec and lock it down. We didn’t do anything wrong.” Nick overrode her quickly, spinning the doe around with both paws. He immediately hit a knee and looked her over urgently.

Then, Nicholas Wilde gave her a hug. And, that, sent her body into a level rigidity that would have rivaled any building plank from even the most notable lumber distributor in Zootopia. The scent of violets and the plushness of the fur underneath his patrol shirt was almost immediately calming. It was the engulfing arms, the tightness, and the warmth therein that calmed her down after that. Nick’s tail had even wrapped around the entirety of her frame, extending well past even that to curl back around his opposite knee.

It took another moment for Judy to firmly steel herself and once she had, Nick unwrapped her. He stood up fully and began smoothing out his uniform while she did the same on her own. Once that was finished, the todd ruffled her ears with a gentle smile before knocking on the door. The normal gruff response hollered for them to enter. Within the room, Lieutenant Waldron was sitting on a chair across from Bogo while the water buffalo stood behind his desk. No doubt, he was reading reports that the female cheetah had brought him. The duo immediately took their seats.

“The Lieutenant has some questions for you two.” Bogo said, not looking up from the forms.

A black notebook was cracked open in Melissa Waldron’s lap as Judy’s eyes found the cheetah’s staring at them. Pen poised in a spotted paw. What most did not know, until both mammals were in the same room, Lieutenant Waldron was an officer that had an even stricter temperament than the Chief.

“You’ll have to forgive me, Officer Wilde, but I have to ask.” Waldron began, putting the tip of the pen to the paper. “Were you acquainted with the victims?”

Nick shook his head. “I knew that it was the Beijars when I saw them. I didn’t _know_ them, though.” He replied simply, looking out over the desk. The todd ended up cutting against the grain by making an inquiry. “What happened to the husband?”

“The Tundratown Precinct found him early this morning. He was already three-days deceased and the wife had called in the missing mammal’s report. A BOLO had been issued.” The cheetah explained without looking up from her notes. “Run me through the initial notice of the suspect.”

“I got a case of the sore-ass from sitting around so long. It had gotten me shifting in my seat a bit. I’m fairly sure that it was a vehicle’s high-beams being flashed that caught my attention. I could tell that a mammal was in the middle of the road at first glance, but I didn’t verbally alert my partner until I saw the specifics of it through the binoculars. As I noted in my reports.” Nick explained.

 _“You_ were the one to spot the suspect?” Waldron said, raising her eyes onto the fox.

“No disrespect meant, Lieutenant. Or, to you, Chief. But, I’m not speaking to you in my secondary Vulpish. Nor did I write my reports in such a fashion.” Nick’s statement was made in just as even a tone as ever, staring down the larger predator. _“So, what was this?”_

Judy elbowed Nick in the side for leveling such a blatant demand of their superiors. Insubordination had always made the doe uncomfortable to be around and it was the worst feeling in the world when it involved their boss. The look of warning that the buffalo had was not missed by Judy.

“We’re confident that this was a hate crime with only one suspect. There was forensic evidence that put the Gemsbok at both scenes.” Bogo said resolutely.

“Wilde. Hopps. I want to make this absolutely clear to both of you.” Waldron spoke up. Judy did not miss the rolling growl that came from the female’s chest. “The district attorney is going to pursue the death penalty. There will be _no_ deals rendered for the suspect.”

The doe watched as Nick start down at the end of the desk for a moment, clearing his throat in the process, before he chose a moment to speak.

“Will there be anything else, Lieutenant?” He asked softly.

“Not from Waldron, Wilde...” Bogo said gruffly.

Judy looked up suddenly. The Chief had set his shoulders and was staring right at Nick with every bit of intensity that he could muster. When she looked over at Nick, he was side-eyeing her with a sad smile.

“Sorry, Fluff,” Nick said softly. “We’re benched until the holidays are over. At the minimum.”

The Chief fell back into his chair with one of the loudest grunts that had been released in the presence of any of his officers. Sometimes, the todd’s ability to read other mammals, and into their plans, was impressive. The doe watched as Nick’s smile widened and how his head turned back towards Bogo. There was a _very_ uncharacteristic groan released by the Chief.

“So, Buffalo Butt.” He said loudly, chuckling. “What are our duties? Armory, desk, or Dispatch?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmm. Something's cooking in the kitchen, huh.


	15. Sirocco

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sirocco (noun) : a hot wind, often dusty or rainy, blowing from North Africa across the Mediterranean to southern Europe.
> 
> You, as an individual, are a cog in the entire machine of local environment. And, there are others who are involved in how that whole machine works: whether or not their actions directly or indirectly affect you. Thus, there is a huge amount of logistics that go into the environment around you. That should always be remembered and it should be taken into account with all of the aspects of this chapter.

**_Part-One – TCNN Headquarters, Deerbrooke City, Tri-Counties_**

Shuffling of paperwork could be heard at the reporting desk a whitetail buck collected his thoughts: going over his own while waiting for the news-stream to go-live. The buck was sitting next to a middle-aged, plump rabbit doe. They were both conscience to the direction of the studio’s camera lens and the cues from the support mammals beyond the stage. In unison, their heads raised when a glint was seen against the three lenses aimed into the recording area. The main camera-mammal raised a paw to count down the live signal alert.

“Good evening. This is Neil Fernsby.” The buck introduced himself as he had always done before.

“And, I’m Hilda Villan.” The doe responded.

“Tonight, and with great displeasure, we wish to alert the Tri-Burrows and Greater Tri-County area of a recent Bird-of-Prey attack that claimed the lives of two Prinehorn County teenagers this past evening. The local wildlife enforcement agency released a statement that there was recorded evidence of the attack, taken by one of the victims in the midst of the attack, but would not be releasing further information until the families were notified.” Neil explained calmly, looking directly into the aperture of the camera lens.

“A Tri-County hunt has been ongoing since the hawk was first sighted to the east of Prinehorn County this past October. The first alert had not gone out until two-weeks after when another sighting was recorded in Bunnyburrow County. Many assumed that the original report had been a prank reported in by troubled youth in the Johnstone township zone. Unfortunately, it had not been as simple as that.” Hilda chimed in evenly.

There was something to be said about the work ethic of the buck as he sat in his chair so resolutely. Only a pawful of mammals, outside of the local Tri-Counties Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, knew that one of the victims had been a teenage whitetail buck.

The video footage, taken by Jason Fernsby’s closest friend, had been a real eye-opener for the father. The hawk had been pushed far out of its regular hunting grounds due to its own size and had been so well versed in hunting prey that it was able to kill the first teen, stalk his son, and then carry off both bodies with no issue whatsoever. The starkness of the video did not elicit any feeling of revenge from the elder buck. For such a large BOP to carry off a properly sized deer _and_ a solidly built lynx at the same time… And, neither of the bodies had been recovered thus far. Neil swore that it would require the local Army Reserve unit to take the bastard out.

The whitetail buck would keep the emotions within until it was determined by the local organizations that it would be alright to release the information. He would do his part, in the meantime.

“Your local Wildlife and Fisheries units…” Neil swallowed thickly, trying to bury the lump in his throat. “TCDWF requests that all families remain indoors and that every safety protocol be utilized to prevent another abduction from occurring by this Bird-of-Prey.”

“Your family, here at the studio, urgently requests that all families focus on ensuring that our loved ones stay indoors and out-of-sight of the BOP until such a time has come that the hawk has been removed from the local equation.” The rabbit doe requested; her tone tinted with an urgency.

“And, in other news…”

**_Part-Two – The Downtown Subdistrict, “Upper” Savannah Central_ **

The dull bluish hue of light pouring out of three different computer screens was becoming a problem with the lateness of the evening. The sun had disappeared many hours before from the window of the Zootopian Customs & Border Protection building in the city center proper. The whole task was beginning to strain Mike Jones’s eyes as he went over the importation requests, various other trade compliance reports, and the accompanying email correspondence. All of his day-to-day work was complete already, but he was still handling the department’s investigation into the mammal smuggling infrastructure that the ZPD had smashed not too long ago.

Not many mammals knew his name or that he was on the mostly straight-and-narrow these days.

Finnick had two different PowerPoint documents where all of his final data streams choreographed across the sheets. The first was the official report that he would end up filing. A full memorandum of hyperlinked shipping and docking routes, timestamps, container counts, and much more for the holding company that owned the ship. Not just that. But, also their entire manifest list coving the span of the last three-years on all seven of their cargo ships. Every single time each of them had ever docked in Zootopia.

The second PowerPoint sheet was a file that was kept on a personal drive for secondary investigations. They were preliminary investigations of secondary foreign holding companies. It was not saved to the main server. He was using the data to research companies that were affiliated with the original shipping organization. He was doing his own investigation to see if they had other, _disassociated_ holding companies within a loose network.

 _Why?_ His bosses would end up asking… once everything was complete.

Well, that was simple. There were questions that had to be asked. Did the original smugglers own the shipping company that they used? Was the shipping company a knowing third-party? Did they have other means of transporting their products? Maybe another seaborne shipping company or a flight company that would potentially use Zootopia International Airport with private airlifters?

The end of his presentation would literally be written or spoken as: “ _How many fucking tails can we help the ZPD and ZBI pin to the wall?”_

The fact was that the purchasing group was _not_ from Zootopia. The city had simply been chosen as a midway transfer locale. Mister Big had let him know that much and the Don had only told him because it was blatantly obvious that the smugglers were not from Zootopia _and_ because they had their paws in “goods” that he would not allow to be transferred by any local group, rival or otherwise, within the city. And, just like the Don, Finnick was not about to let an external, third-party draw heat to the entirety of the “clean” criminal underground that was within Zootopia.

Finnick was out of the old business. He did not report to Mister Big or to any of his local rivals. Information only passed _to_ the Fennec. Only the other way around. That reason was entirely explained by the fact that the Fennec fox would not rat on his former associates. Just as Nicholas Wilde had not dredged up historical crimes while doing his work within the Zootopian Police Department. The two foxes knew that any new information was fair game while he was working for the PD and Finnick knew that he, himself, would sell anybody up the river for weapons, drug, or mammal trafficking should one of the local organizations get it in their mind to break the _Standard Operating Procedures of the Underground_. There was a line not to ever be crossed. And, if someone broke those rules, their safest case was that the ZPD got to them first. Though… that was not usually the ending for what few had been caught since Judy Hopps had been inducted into the ZPD.

The purchasing party for those trafficked mammals were extremely luck that the Don had not gotten a hold of them. The tiny Arctic shrew had been furious when he heard the rumors were true. If they had been caught, they probably would have been held under the freezing waters of the mansion by one of the polar bears… Not simply thrown in.

Long nights – like this one – were cropping up more and more thanks to the intuitions of “Zootopia’s Darlings”. The other officers within Precinct-1 were learning more and more as every workday went by. That, and there was a lot more Underground reporting that foreign parties were showing interest in Zootopia because of “how lax” the local criminal groups were on certain enterprises. The place was a budding bull market. Not even Finnick could deny that. Drugs would be worth the most, right off the bat. That would end up bringing in the weapons traffickers for territory defense. Then, there was the slave trade.

The _pattering_ and _clacking_ of keys continued as notes were reevaluated and reconfirmed against other points of data. This was not exactly what a Trades Compliance Manager was supposed to do for the ZCBP, affectionately pronounced “Zee-Cib”, but once his original background check had hit the Director’s desk… Well, there were pros to having a mammal, who wasn’t a felon, but had recorded _ties_ to specific mammals on the team. It meant that few trusted him, but that was alright.

It kept all those inherently untrustworthy mammals away from Finnick and his work.

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. The report should have been submitted before the passing midnight hour, but there was a bit more to include. Suspicious dots finding their way over a paper superstructure, not yet aligned and synchronized with any of the others on the map but also not pieces of information that could be discredited yet. Finnick knew that the Director would be pleased with the due diligence despite the violation of the deadline.

“Godsdamned, red-furred…” Finnick muttered quietly.

The fact of the matter was that there was only one thing left for the Fennec todd to do when the Kit got out of the business. It was time to get on the straight-and-narrow at that point. Ties were cut and dissociations were made with old partners over time before he applied for different city positions. He had always been a good logistician and a carefully crafted résumé would get him in the door anywhere. Of course, he’d have to pay proper taxes on that income, but sacrifices had to be made. What had not come to Nick, at the time his partner got out, was a sense of urgency to leave the criminal underworld behind. He simply pursued another mammal’s dream with equal fervor with the ideology that he could do better for the city. Finnick had not had that same feeling. By the time all of his affairs were solidified, there was an _urgency_ to get out. An understanding that something bad was coming to Zootopia. Whispers, unfounded rumors, and suspicions all drove that desire then.

Eventually, there was a _whoosh_ sound of the email being sent out with the relevant file and a simple explanation of what was in it. The Director would review and confirmed all of the data before it was sent off to both the ZBI and ZPD, at her discretion. Of course, if the Director of the ZCBP was dirty, Finnick had backups of everything plus all of his other unreported data. A tab was pulled up so that the Fennec could punch out from being on recorded work hours. There was always a win for getting a bit of overtime on the clocks. Just a bonus, though.

Finnick withdrew the secondary data drive from its USB port, after saving all the files to it, before powering down his work rig. Usually, he would not be tired, but all of his extra time on the investigation – on top of his regular duties – meant that he was tired now.

The path out of the office building was well lit, as was the parking lot outside. His van was sitting in the middle of the empty lot. Once he was inside the large, decorated vehicle, Finnick powered it up while listening to his music fill the cab. The dashboard mounted switched on after another moment and gave a low drone of the day’s new reports from the local networks. They were still talking about the Gemsbok that had been arrested the other day. New footage was playing over the screen, this time showing his red fox friend puking near a cruiser after making the discovery within the house. An angry claw jabbed the power button and shut it off.

“Fucking vultures…” He muttered.

The streetlights were dimly shining through whatever opens that allowed the light. The high-rises gave off their own altitude notifiers with red above the city. Finnick could see some of them in the mirrors that were on his doors while the tires carried him through the passing blocks. The Fennec’s paws were on autopilot after making it to the south end of the subdistrict. There were so many things to still consider for his end of the continuing investigation.

Honestly, he hated nights like this. He would not have to return until noon to meet with the Director, but it wasn’t like he was going to be able to go back to his apartment and get any sleep. All of the what-ifs revolved around how big the foreign crime network really was and if there were other groups within some sort of syndicate. And, even more worrisome. How much reach across the region did they have?

Back home in Sahara Square, Finnick’s paws carried him through his door and over to the refrigerator to dig a beer out of the icebox. After a second thought, he grabbed a second can. After stripping down to his tank-top and boxers, the Fennec fox climbed into bed. A beer was drained before his tablet of paper and a pen materialized from the bedside table. There was a distinct hissing _crack_ of the second can being opened just before the tip of pen hit the paper. Finnick picked up right where he had left off.

 _Log #23 – 12-17-20 //_ Grupo Amapá’s _business model revolves around shipping freight via container ships from Belém, Brazil. All seven of their company ships originate from that homeport. Those freighters do not make berth at the same ports at the same time: and,_ never _are there two GrupoA ships anywhere in the same seaborne routes as Zootopia City’s Port, in Lion’s Bay. Each of the freighters has a specific set of delivery points, but all of those freighters make port in two other countries. No more than three ships were docked at either of the other two locations at the same time: one in Southeastern Asia and one in Western Africa._

 _Due to the volatility of African politics and all of the active warzones on the Continent, I do not believe that the “live cargo” was brought from that continent exclusively or as directly as straight across the Atlantic. There is a far more viable capability in using the “Maritime Silk Road,” if African nationals are being smuggled out. Of course, only the ZBI and Interpol know of the nationalities of those who were saved from their eventual sale earlier this month. It’s a guess, but I do not suspect that all of the parties were from one location or another. I, personally, will never know in all likelihood. I do believe, wholeheartedly, that mammals are being smuggled through the Maritime Silk Road. The perpetrators of the slave trade will not risk their “assets” going through the Panama Canal and, fortunately for them, they’ve chosen_ Grupo Amapá _to carry their freight through or around the Strait of Magellan and, subsequently, into their homeport on the northern end._

_Because we know that Interpol and the ZBI won’t release the nationalities of the smuggled foreigners to the public, we should assume that they could be from anywhere. It could be as “small” as a South American Cartel pushing drug-trade slaves straight out of Belém. But, if I’m right, the origin of the majority of captives will not be from South America at all. The Cartels need all the slave and farm personnel that they can get for the coca production. And, thus, it is likely a far larger organization than what is being let on to._

_Four of the outbound ships, from Belém, head east into various ports in Europe and Western Africa before making their way to the eastside of the Continent and then around to three different Southeast Asian ports, where two of the four other ships pick up the same cargo before heading back to Belém. Those two “intermediaries” still make it back to Belém, but much later than the two on the “last leg”. Who knows how many mammals have been slipped through, though? And, who knows how many other interactions went down within the all of the Southeastern Island Chains after the Malaysian dockings._

_The Director of the ZCBP has been notified of all of the_ Grupo Amapá _ships so they will all be under scrutiny: assuming that all of the proper international entities are currently involved in all of the other ports. I have two other entities which I am suspicious of, but I will not be logging their data at this time in case there are mammals who are watching over my reports within the ZCBP or through any of the ZPD channels once the original report is shown to the ZBI and Interpol._

_Log #24 will follow at a later date._

The second beer was drained as the Fennec fox uploaded his information to the scheduled email draft that he had set for Nick’s backup email address. It was pure pelt-coverage. He knew less than Nick did; in regard to who he could trust within Zootopia. Every week, the Fennec fox would update the forwarding date further out into the future. It had every single bit of data that he had accrued was updated and uploaded to the email in case any mammal decided that Finnick was too deeply involved with the case. Fortunately for the duo, there was a mammal on the outside that did not trust a single soul outside of his own being.

With the beer finally finished, Finnick closed his laptop and hid the notepad away within his room before heading to bed.

The following day’s meeting approached quickly as time marched forward with purposeful resolve. Finnick waited outside of Director Rebecca Brumhurst’s office until her assistant let him know to go ahead. He did not like the chairs in most of the offices and waiting areas, so he spent his time slowly pacing in front of them. There was nobody there to bother aside from the assistant, and the female was dutifully typing out email replies. It could not be said that he was nervous. He was simply processing more information from where he had left off. The Director’s door finally swung open and the Fennec fox found himself staring up at the taller gazelle doe.

“Good afternoon, Mister Jones. Please, come in.” Director Brumhurst greeted him cordially.

“Afternoon, Ma’am. How are you today?” Finnick replied sonorously.

“I am well. I take it that it was a tiring night for you, though.” She replied, picking up the folder from his desk to give it a gentle wave. It was his report, no doubt.

“It ended up being later than I originally planned to be out of the office, but good work comes at a price.” The fox shrugged deeply, hopping up into the chair in front of the Director’s desk.

He usually preferred to go as far as standing on the desk to make everything slightly more businesslike. But, he would not stand on hers without an invite.

“And, I am impressed. This was a deep-dive and not something I normally would have given to a relatively newer hire. I made some of my own notes and promptly forwarded it to all of the relevant parties: including the ZPD’s Chief Bogo.” The Director complimented the Fennec. “I am interested in why you volunteered for the assignment, though.”

Mike “Finnick” Jones was no idiot. He did not know Rebecca Brumhurst well enough to give her the whole story, thus he certainly was not about to tell her about his affiliations with _the_ “Wonder Duo”, as the Fennec liked to refer to them as. So, in this case, a half-truth would suffice.

“May I be frank, Ma’am?” Finnick asked resolutely, waiting to continue until she gave an exceptionally soft nod. “I felt that the Zootopian Police Department was extremely disenfranchised when it came to the operation at the Port, after the fact. When _, in fact,_ the local city’s own Blue Liners should have been running point on the operation… Out of a jurisdictional fucking courtesy.”

If one were to say that Director Brumhurst was “taken aback”, that would have been a vast understatement of the reality. It was brutally apparent that she had never had a subordinate speak in such a manner in her immediate vicinity before. Finnick was showing his newly-adorned, true-colors to force his boss’s paw to reveal the play. And, of course, she was reluctant at first.

“Considering your _history_ with the ZPD, Mister Jones, I’m a little surprised by this conviction.”

“You are referring to a history that is as sunken and gone as the Titanic, Ma’am. Now? And, at the risk of losing my job? I am employed by an agency of Zootopia that _must_ appropriately balance the protections of both Zootopian citizens, and the innocent mammals being smuggled in from abroad as slaves.” This time, Finnick stood up in the seat to solidify the point. _“I do not work for you._ I do not work for any other agency or group or a shadow organization. I work for _them._ I work for those that we are sworn to protect and to those whom we serve.”

Frankly, Finnick might as well have been standing on her end of the desk with a clawed finger jabbed into her long snout. It really would not have made a difference at this point. Had it been a better topic choice, the todd may have relished in the nervous atmosphere that seemed to overtake his superior. It was reassuring, but he showed no joy visually.

“I am going to assume that there’s more to this in your mind…” She replied softly.

“I have suspicions. Strings to pull on. But, only with your permission.” The reply with tinged with a thoughtful frown and sequence of bouncing nods.

“On top of your existing workload, I am also going to assume that the overtime will be just as prevalent.” The doe sighed.

This made the todd laugh softly, bringing her eyes back up to him.

“Solid, thorough work does not come cheap, Director. And, the fact that you are entertaining my request simply implies that you have your own suspicions as well.” Finnick said deeply, trying to scrub the smirk off his muzzle. He never held back with those smiles. The teeth were _always_ on display.

The gazelle’s chair turned so that she could look out the window, giving a knowing nod throughout the measurement of the maneuver.

“Alright. I want weekly reports, though. Forgo the end of this week. Paper copies on my desk every Friday after this one.” Director Brumhurst said firmly.

The Fennec stood up on his seat with a nod. “Of course. Will that be all?” Finnick asked finally.

“Yes. If anything volatile comes up, you bring it to me immediately.”

Nothing more was to be said. So, before the Director’s chair had even swiveled back around to direct her attention to the fox subordinate, Finnick had stood and was halfway across the room. Nothing was missed with the sullen upward curl on his muzzle. There were no fangs. It was one of the few that had ever been presented without _that_ menace.

It was a sad smile, but a smile, nonetheless. Sad because there were only a select few mammals in all of Zootopia that he could trust: and Director Brumhurst was not one of them. A persevering smile remained because of the fact that he had just conned her into blessing his research on the level. The walk back to his workstation was considered a bittersweet win, all told. But, a win, nonetheless.

**_Part-Three –_** **_Zootopia Police Department – Precinct-1_**

Chief Idris Bogo’s morning had been spent reading through the ZCBP analyst’s report, provided by Direct Brumhurst. All of the notable department leads had been carbon copied on the email that went out. The short of it, for the ZPD, was that they would be notified of when a certain company’s ships were supposed to make port within any of Zootopia’s jurisdiction. It was a courtesy, of course. Interpol needed the ZBI and the ZBI was at least courteous enough not to run an operation within the city and without the local authorities. The long and short of the “local authorities” was the Chief himself.

The rest of the day was filled with phone calls to departments on the outlying shores who had ports within their local jurisdictions. One up north, well past the convention map of Tundratown, and two down to the southeast. Many miles away. They needed to know who to look for, in case the local ZCBP extensions were lax, uncaring, or worse… uninformed. Once that was complete, the computer was switched to an encrypted communications program so that he could call Mayor Dwayne Silas and Director Tyler James of the Zootopian Bureau of Investigation. The two heads of law enforcement for the city would loop the Mayor in on things going forward.

A very discrete hoof poured whiskey into a glass on his desk. The onset of migraines was becoming more frequent due to all of the unanticipated angles of criminal activity recently. The constant threat of some variation of the Nighthowler toxin being resurrected. A smuggling operation: which turned out to not be a new angle at all for the cartel behind it. A mass casualty event that was countered by arguably Precinct-1’s best street team. Another shank to the psychology and soul for his two smallest officers. The buffalo had shattered one of his nicer glassware pieces at his residence, after the Beijars murders, much to his wife’s ire.

A sip of the whiskey was interrupted by Mayor Silas. It appeared that the ZBI Director was finished with filling the Mayor in on how any other smuggling interceptions would be handled in the preliminary.

 _“What’s the status of the Gemsbok, Chief?”_ Silas inquired.

“You will have to talk to the District Attorney about that, Sir. I hear that the case is proceeding smoothly with all of the information ascertained from the investigations.” Bogo replied.

_“Have either of you been hearing chatter about those murders?”_

The question was simple enough. Back in the day, it would have been unexpected to hear a predator be concerned about aftershocks of such a high-profile incident. Then again, it would have been shocking to see a predator in the mayor’s seat back then.

“I haven’t seen any reports or heard any rumors, Mister Mayor.” The buffalo admitted. “Is there anything that you are concerned with?”

 _“Yes.”_ The reply was calm from the jaguar. _“I am concerned that there are groups who will want to retaliate against the prey populations for such an attack against an innocent predator family.”_

Director James had not needed to chime in at that particular moment, but it had not been something of a surprise due to the animosity between the ZPD Chiefs and the ZBI Directors over the last five-decades. The ZBI had always played their own political angle within Zootopian politics and that was something that police officers within the city had never abided by. Of course, members of the Zootopian Bureau of Investigation and the broader Zootopian Intelligence Agency had always been hostile with the local police department based on the grounds of corruption. And, corrupt was not something that Chief Bogo abided by.

 _“While the ZBI has not heard anything, to my knowledge, I am also concerned of a looming species war. This, due to the fact that it was Officer Wilde that made the final discovery and because Officer Wilde has done great things for mending certain predator relations with other classes of predators and the entirety of prey, alongside all of the pred-prey relations that have been mended alongside Officer Hopps since the Nighthowler Case. Are you not concerned, Chief Bogo?”_ James inquired pointedly.

The irritated water buffalo drained the whiskey before setting the glass down to pour another.

“Of course, I am. I have no doubt that there are several hundred predators, across all their respective species, who would like to see a blood-for-blood restitution paid out as equally as what happened to the Beijars family.” Bogo admitted evenly. “No matter the fact that they were foxes, Director. And, for all of the reasons that you previously mentioned: _as well as_ the fact that there were half a dozen kits who were mutilated at the scene. But, let me be the _first_ to surprise you both. _I do not blame them one bit for that depth of emotion.”_

If the whole thing had been a video conference, Bogo would have seen every bit of striking surprise on the two predators’ faces. The hulking water buffalo was the only prey mammal on the encrypted call and that knowledge was the bedrock of building trust between him and the two predators on the call.

 _“But!”_ Bogo finally elaborated. “That _does not_ mean that the law enforcement officers of the Zootopian Police Department – involved with any of the precincts therein – will not do their jobs; in the specific regard of arresting _any mammal_ that wishes to harm the innocent. A homicide is a homicide: no matter the motive, nor the desire, nor the suspect. There will be _no_ vigilantism or any slippage of prosecution on either side of the mammalian line. That is from myself and the District Attorney, respectively.”

 _“Very good. I’m afraid I have another meeting to attend, at this point.”_ Director James said with urgency, his voice filled in a vast disinterest in the whole affair. There were other things that the ZBI Director needed to take care of, on top of reporting the newfound intelligence. His end of the connection was severed immediately.

There was a quiet rustling on the Mayor’s end of the line. _“I urge you to gain an upper-paw on this matter, Bogo. I want to make sure that we know as much as, if not more than the Three-Letter Agencies.”_ He said firmly.

“We will do our best while working with the CBP director, Mister Mayor.” Bogo replied gruffly.

_“Good. Carry on.”_

And, the line went dead.

There was a crack of an empty shot glass on the wooden tabletop as Bogo finished the second round off. There was a bit of concern for the large water buffalo in the future’s proceedings with the two _looming_ Three-Letter Agencies within Zootopia, the uncertainty of working with the ZCBP, and the fact that there was also a political ballgame being played at the behest of the Mayor.

The bottle and the glass were put away in a lower desk drawer. The light was clicked off. And, Chief Bogo gathered his things before heading out for the night.

**_Part-Four – Canyonlands, Sahara Square_**

Seasons are extremely important when one wishes to complete certain activities. Climates dictated a lot of things when it came to recreational activities within Zootopia. Beachgoers would be much further south, for instance. Freshwater fishing in the bayous of the southwest of the Rainforest District would still be productive despite the extreme lateness of the year. It was still warm enough down in those areas. However, the harshness that was usually held back by the Climate Wall was only amplified in some areas during the natural winter months.

The roiling of sand particles accented a grayer and more unwelcoming sky closer to the climate wall. Dimmed further by the hulking, but sculpted architecture in the rippling sandstone and mudstone. And, yet, the stone was muted by the depressing weather just as naturally. The red rocks held no appeal in the fight for the earth to melt away the falling snowflakes. In the lower zones of runoff, there was a stark notation of watery crimson that ran down the cliffs. So much darker than the original weak sandstone color. The pools and minute streams below were not something to set paws in.

The wipers of a heavy, tint-accentuated gray Mercedes-Benz AMG sport-utility flicked in a hurried time while being bogged down by the red-tinted slurry that were mounting on the windshield. The Canyonlands were vast and there would not be a single soul off of the main roads during this kind of weather event. Neither of the two snowy-white mammals made conversation, while the larger of the two dutifully brought them closer to the conclusion of the journey. The large mammal-class SUV had no trouble digging through the red mud underneath the frame and it was going to be discrete enough to be passed off as a tourist who had recently had a poor idea of how things would go in the Square during their off-time. Fortunately, tickets were not passed out for leaving a trail of effective clay on the main thoroughfares in the district.

Within the slotted canyons and even further under the hoodoos above, the AMG came to a halt within a dusty clearing. Lighter shaded spires on-high were nearly extinguished between their snowy covers and the gray backdrop. The two Arctic mammals removed themselves from the vehicle while redonning their work gloves. An Arctic fox waited patiently while the polar bear opened the rear cargo door: both mammals whipped by the angry, sandy winds. To stay out in it too long meant a deeply seated coating of red within their white furs. The todd looked over every bit of the canyon behind the vehicle that he could see through squinted eyelids even as a sickly thud fell to the ground behind him.

 _“A eto khorosheye mesto?”_ The polar bear asked. His inquiry was made in Russian.

 _“Da.”_ The todd said simply. “It’s as good a spot as any.”

There was the sound plastics being drug along the gently snow covered sands behind the fox was not enough to pierce the howling winds within the canyons that they were in. Victor – formerly known as Vuk in his previous homeland, the Federation, and Galnai in their home _okrug_ – continued to ignore his subordinate while the task was being completed.

The polar bear was Vasaly, or _Dulus_ in their _okrug,_ and a long time front of Victor’s. They had both immigrated from the same village within the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of Russia. Though, the imposing polar bear was brought into the Family a bit later than Victor Galnai had been. Their former titles had unofficially been adopted as surnames on this side of the globe, of course.

“Why here?” Vasaly inquired in English.

“The Geocache will be found exactly when it’s supposed to be found here.” The todd explained shortly before switching a somewhat broken Chukchi. _“Not too soon, but not in a too distant future.”_

The polar bear grunted his reply as the body bag was unzipped and the boneless form of an Eld’s deer was poured into the sands at his hindpaws. Ignoring the fact that the buck had been moved from his original resting place, he looked as natural as ever in the original attire that had been worn when he was taken. The buck’s name did not matter at all. His business had been the critical sin against the Family and _that_ was why he was lying in his current position.

“Done?” Victor hissed.

“Clean.” Vasaly replied, though not without an accent.

Victor heard the sound of the bag being rolled up as his friend took it back to the Benz. Once the cargo door was closed and the driver’s door was slammed, that was his cue to turn towards the corpse and approach it diligently. His gloved paw withdrew an envelope from within his outer jacket pocket before both paws shoved it into the vest of the deceased mammal.

A final look around the area brought Victor’s desire to leave the area to a forefront. The approach to the vehicle was businesslike, but urgent in nature. Once he was firmly belted into the passenger seat, Vasaly drove the vehicle out of the canyon at a slightly faster clip than how they had originally entered. He knew the plan. There was nothing to worry about. Should any authorities find the drop too early and the tracks be discovered, the pattern was already researched to have been one of the most used all-terrain treads in the entire region. Their particular set of tires would be replaced immediately, no less. Furthermore, the two mammals had been wearing slick boots for the drop and no group would be able to discern the mammals that had left the body in the location. If the proper amount of time had gone by, none of it would matter in the end.

Vasaly steered the vehicle out of the Canyonlands in the due course of time and eventually brought them to a vehicle wash station in the Big Dunes. It was warmer in that part of the district and the snow had thoroughly blown off or melted prior to their arrival. While the windows were entirely tinted, it did not make Victor feel any more comfortable staring the glaringly clear interior as the EZWash pass brought on a green light. There was not a mammal outside that could see the two mammals within the vehicle. The license plate had been stolen from a vehicle well outside of the entire region for confidentiality purposes.

There was nothing to do in the meantime. The carwash apparatus had a “noodle tumbler”, as the locals affectionately referred to it as. Multi-colored soap suds were applied and dissipated by the scrubbers or the rinse cycle. The interior of the vehicle would be cleaned in-house once they returned properly. And, the plate would be replaced, of course.

“It’s going to be found by the wrong groups.” Vasaly barely muttered over the sounds of the scrubbing.

“There will be a leak to the press and the right mammals will get the message after the fact.” Victor said with a sigh.

“This is extremely high-profile. Especially for the Boss.” The polar bear wondered.

“There are rules within the city, my friend.” Victor explained for the umpteenth time, feeling the locks on the wheels release so that the bear could drive them out of the carwash. “The message is that none of the outside groups will have an ally, in either the law enforcement departments or the criminal underground, if they work outside of the bounds of common mammalian decency. You haven’t been here as long as I have, Vasaly, and this was the first time you’ve seen the Boss’s disdain for certain practices. And, this will not be the last time it happens.”

_“Tovarishch, uveryayu vas... Ponimayu.”_

It took over an hour for Vasaly to make the journey deep into the Canal District so that the Mercedes could be traded out for their usual ride. The vehicle would be thoroughly cleaned, stripped, and repainted before being put back into the normal rotation: while the license plate was lost somewhere in the swamps. There was no rush in completing the task. The steadier one went, the more likely that the job was done in a fully proficient manner.

A clicker found its way into Victor’s paw and his thumb tabbed a button, causing a nearby garage door to open as they pulled up to the closed mechanic’s shop. It shuttered loudly within the confines of the space as it drew back down moments later. The swap was quick and uneventful while a less conspicuous GLS was reobtained from the adjacent bay. The other garage door went up and down appropriately as Vasaly drove them back out onto the quiet streets. The polar bear would take them north and make the district crossing through the Meadowlands. The long way of the long way: taking as long as it took just to trade out the SUV.

There was a bit of happiness and a quiet prayer said after the Snowy Hills Transit Tunnel was… liberating, to say the least. Victor went as far as cracking the window to allow the blistering cold air to blow against his muzzle, letting his ears fall back to dull the noise while taking in the sensation all the same. The todd’s eyelids drooped to closure until much later, when it was obvious that the vehicle was nearing the front gate to the residence of Mister Domenico Big.

Victor was extremely careful on the grounds of the property. Once the vehicle was parked, he used a discrete version of Russian Sign Language to dismiss Vasaly: making it clear that he would handle the Boss while the polar bear reported to Raymond directly. At this time of the afternoon, though the sunlight was well extinguished by the impending snowstorm, it would be Koslov that was handling the direct security for the aging don. And, Kevin was likely on the perimeter overseeing the outer patrol structure of the property.

Fortunately for Victor, there was nothing to fear when he entered Mister Big’s office without knocking. The right amount of dedication and proper servitude at his station had seen the permissions granted in due time. In fact, it was such a station that the ring wasn’t kissed anymore. While proud, the Arctic shrew understood that respect-returned was just as important as respect-shown: a two-way street overall. You were thought highly of within the organization if you were not required to kiss the ring. But, there wasn’t a single soul who could address him by his first name. Mister Big was sitting exactly where he was expected to be – on the polar bear’s left side – sitting at his ornate seat on top of the desk and in the firelight where he could be readily seen by those in-the-know.

“Victor!” Mister Big said wheezily, voice bleeding with his Italian accent.

“Good evening, Boss.” The todd replied easily. “I’m here to report that everything is in place and in play.”

“And, the note.” Big inquired firmly.

“Written by one, bagged by another, and situated by me… as instructed.” The todd confirmed, walking over to stand before the desk as Mister Big made his way to the edge. They were nearly at eye-level with each other.

“When shall we expect the discovery?” The shrew asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Three-weeks, if the historical weather models hold out. Five, at the latest.” Victor explained with a gently waved paw.

Mister Big nodded before continuing on in a bit of Italian, a language that the todd did not know, with Koslov so that more paperwork could be done. Of course, Victor had not been dismissed from the room and he did not worry about being “held late” considering the fact that he had interrupted the Boss. The shrew’s chair eventually swiveled back around to so that he could, again, meet the todd’s hazel eyes.

“And, your childhood friend… Vasaly?” Big wondered out loud. “How did he do?”

“He suffers from the same learning curve that Koslov learned I had when I first joined up. But, he did his job exactly as you ordered. As long as he can follow orders, but also adapt to situations that we can’t foresee, he will be extremely good for the business, Boss.” Victor said deeply, his paws flexing with each consideration for what his friend needed while balancing it with the truth that Mister Big needed to hear.

“You’ll see to that then.” It was not a question or request from the shrew.

 _“Konechno.”_ Victor slipped into his Russian easily enough.

Domenico Big nodded while collecting some items from his vest: a pipe, matchbox and some tobacco. It took a bit of time, but eventually there was an extremely small fire to light the instrument and puffs of white smoke came shortly after.

“And, your other report, Victor?” The shrew asked, voice swollen with a restrained inhale.

“This will end up as a cold case. But, that does not mean that the Chief will ignore a homicide simply because of a note attached to the body of a mammal smuggler. Which, by the way, he won’t be able to prove. That being said… My drop team and you, yourself, are insulated. The other assets are ready to burn at a moment’s notice should they have made a mistake with the handling of the goods.” Victor raised a paw to clear his throat momentarily. “The message will hit the news networks around the globe due to the phrasing. It will be linked to the past raid on the smuggling ring at the Port of Zootopia.”

“But, you seem conflicted of these events...” Big offered.

The todd nodded. “Yes and no. There would be a lot less heat if we had had a name to include with the note. That lack of information is none of our faults specifically. These other groups were very well trained in the art of Operational Security; though, the foreign supplier’s explanation is a given because they are _foreign._ I simply feel that it would have pleased me to help the law enforcement agencies out with more information.” Victor explained dutifully.

There was no helping the raising of his hackles when Koslov turned his gaze directly at the todd. This, despite the fact that Mister Big was nodding his tiny head contemplatively. The shrew even hummed with the motion. Fortunately, Victor had been around long enough to know the difference between an imminent death and the actuality of Big’s curiosity of certain issues or subjects. So, the todd held his ground while letting it be known to Koslov that he was not going to take any shit willingly. Eventually, Koslov went back to the Family’s books with his large pen.

“I would have liked that, as well, Victor. Now, tell me…” The Don ordered. “How is my favorite repatriate doing?”

 _“Bezumnaya?”_ Victor asked, his ears going upright.

“I thought it was _‘Villi’…”_ Mister Big said sharply.

“That noun is in his proper Vuplish, Boss. And, the proper noun would be ‘ _Uayld’_ in Russian. But… I have my own interpretations of the officer, so I refer to him in a more… natural manner in my native tongue… But, others will relate that wording as being hostile, but I will assure you that it’s not so.” Victor said, gently smiling.

Koslov took that as his cue to lean in towards the Don and whisper further explanations regarding the discussed linguistics. It had made the brow raise on Mister Big’s face and that put Victor’s ears on full, forward alert. The whispers were so soft, regardless of his attempt to listen in, that it had not mattered in the end.

“It does seem to lean a little more towards a crass description of his actual temperament.” Big said after a moment.

“I think of the word's synonyms as a chronological timeline. But, that’s just me, Boss.” Victor shrugged. “Anyway. He’s been on desk duty since the Beijars murders with Judy Hopps at the behest of the Chief of Police. I hear they aren’t far out from being back on their way to Bunnyburrow County within the next half-day, according to our mammal within the department. It will not be feasible to attempt to keep eyes on him while he’s out there, though. It’s too exposed in the Tri-Counties and there is a winged predator on the loose up there. We’ll keep eyes on them until they make their way beyond reasonable overwatch capabilities.”

“Very well…” Big sighed. “Good work today. Go ahead and get some rest before taking over that job later today.”

“Thank you, Boss.” The todd said, turning away to remove himself from the shrew’s office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't lie. At least one of you thought that I was going to kill Finnick in that parking lot. Fear not!


End file.
